Here Comes the Festival of Nations 2026!
by International Programs and Services
Michigan Tech’s International Programs and Services would like to invite you to the first-ever Festival of Nations 2026! Festival of Nations is a new and fresh take on the former Parade of Nations. It will include various staples that Parade of Nations is known for and that are beloved by our community, with a more modern-day twist.
The parade will be replaced with an expanded multicultural festival! In collaboration with the City of Houghton, we will extend the multicultural festival from the Dee Stadium toward the Houghton Waterfront Pier adjacent to the Portage Lake Library. The pier will hold our international entertainment as well as an array of local vendors, community displays and all sorts of fun games and activities for the kids! We hope that this expansion will bridge the gap of communication between international students and the general community.
Following the vendor area, local food trucks will line up between the Michigan Tech Lakeshore Center and the Dee Stadium, where the multicultural festival will be held with an array of dishes prepared by various student organizations.
Leading up to the festival, flags representing our international student body will continue to adorn both of our united sister cities.
Don’t miss out on the chance to attend the inauguration of this fresh take on a classic and continue to support our international students! Come on down Sept. 19 from 12-4 p.m.! (Don’t worry! We did not get rid of the food!)
The 2026 Festival of Nations begins at 12:00 PM on Saturday, September 19th 2026 from Michigan Tech's J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library and ends at the Dee Stadium in Houghton. Spectators are welcome to line the parade route along College Avenue and Shelden Avenue in Houghton.
For more information contact festivalofnations@mtu.edu or 906-487-2160.
Participate in the Festival
The Festival of Nations’ purpose is to showcase the culture and countries represented in the Keweenaw.