04/29/2019—
It’s been a fall highlight in the Keweenaw for three decades. And this year, the Parade of Nations will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Saturday, September 21, around a theme of “30 Years Bridging Cultures.”
The day kicks off with a parade at 11 a.m., featuring floats, flags and marching bands. The high school student winner of a new essay contest will be parade marshal.
Floats will be judged, with $1,000 in cash prizes.
The parade wends its way from Hancock across the Portage Lake Lift Bridge and through downtown Houghton, winding up at Dee Stadium for the Parade of Nations Multicultural Festival. The festival transforms the historic waterfront venue into a global marketplace, with international food booths, crafts and performers.
There is no charge for admission and no-cost children’s activities. Food cooked by international students and local restaurants averages $5 to $8 for a meal.
Entertainment features more than 10 live acts with an international flavor, from country clogging to Bollywood glamour. Media personalities conduct interactive, game-show-style international trivia with prizes, and parade float winners and the “I Love Parade of Nations” grand prize Chicago Getaway are announced during the show.
Registration is now open on the Parade of Nations website for floats, food booths and performers. People can also request a flag. $100 grants are available to student groups and community organizations to help offset the cost of building floats.
Contact Laura Givens in the International Programs and Services office for more information, lgivens@mtu.edu, Room 200 in the Administration Building.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.