Parade of Nations to celebrate diversity Sept. 15

Ezequiel Medici, left, and Gustavo Bourdieu help lead the 2006 Parade of Nations. Representatives of many countries line up alphabetically in front of the Hancock Middle School for the annual event celebrating diversity in the community. Argentina representatives plan to lead the parade again this year -- unless Albania gets there first. Click on photos for larger versions. (Photo © Michele Anderson)

HOUGHTON -- The Parade of Nations, now in its 18th year, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 15, as a celebration of diversity in this community and on the Michigan Tech campus. The Parade begins at 11 a.m. in front of the Hancock Middle School, crosses the Portage Lift Bridge into Houghton and ends at the Dee Stadium where visitors enjoy multiethnic performances, authentic cuisine from many cultures, vendors’ cultural offerings and free pony rides for children.

Young Native American dancers perform a shawl dance as drummers and singers provide Native musical accompaniment on their float during the 2006 Parade of Nations. (Photo © Michele Anderson)

The theme of this year's parade is "Smiles Have No Borders."

By popular demand the award winning Cass Tech High School Marching Band will make a return performance in the Parade and at the Dee. Cass Tech, a Detroit magnet school famous for its challenging science curriculum, also enjoys one of the top high-school bands in the state.

The public can also view the Cass Tech Marching Band on Friday, Sept. 14, while it hosts a clinic for area high school bands from 12:15 to 2 p.m. at Sherman Field. In the event of rain, the clinic, which is free, will be held in the Wood Gym at the SDC.

The Cass Tech High School Marching Band of Detroit performs with high energy despite a drizzly rain on Shelden Avenue in Houghton during the 2006 Parade of Nations. They plan to return for this year's Parade Saturday, Sept. 15. (Photo © Michele Anderson)

After the parade the Multicultural Festival in Dee Stadium features 37 vendors offering foods from throughout the world, as well as ethnic arts and crafts and a variety of international musical entertainment. Visitors are cautioned to come with hearty appetites, since so many wonderful cuisines are represented.

Buses will be at the MUB on the Michigan Tech campus from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. to take students FREE to Hancock.

One of the youngest participants in the 2006 Parade, Grace Choi, 3, of Korea, wears a colorful traditional dress along with her mother, Eunyoung Yim (green and pink outfit), whose husband, Byung Kyu Choi (not pictured) is MTU assistant professor of computer science. (Photo © Michele Anderson)

Participants should be at the Hancock Middle School on Quincy Street in Hancock by 10 a.m. to pick up flags and should be lined up for the Parade by 10:30 a.m. Flags will be at the school wall. 4-H students will be available to carry flags and/or signs for countries that need more representatives.


Longtime Hancock residents Dick Storm, left, radio announcer and musician, and his wife Mary Tuisku, retired former Hancock City Councilwoman, joined Finnish students from Michigan Tech and Finlandia universities during the 2006 parade. The couple had just returned from a trip to Finland, Estonia and Russia. (Photo © Michele Anderson)

For more information, contact Betty Chavis, 487-2920.

Watch video highlights of the 2006 Parade of Nations and see more photos on the MTU Web site.