Parade of Nations Sept. 20: "Weaving Cultural Harmony"

Heading from Hancock toward the Portage Lift Bridge, Chinese students dance with their dragon during the 2007 Parade of Nations. Click on photos for larger versions.

Press release from Michigan Tech University. Photos of 2007 Parade of Nations © 2007 Keweenaw Now.

HOUGHTON -- Students and community members representing more than 70 countries will participate in the 19th Annual Parade of Nations -- a festival of music, food and ethnic pride -- on Saturday, Sept. 20.

"Weaving Cultural Harmony" is the theme of the 2008 event. Lineup will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Hancock Middle School. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. and run to the Dee Stadium in Houghton, where the multicultural festival will begin at noon.

The 2007 Parade heads for the bridge. Pictured here are participants and flags representing Ecuador, Guatemala and Finland.

"It's a celebration of differences that brings the community together," said MTU Native American Outreach Coordinator Lori Muhlig, who is co-organizing the event.

Cultural differences are blended in celebration during the traditional parade, where country representatives line up in more-or-less alphabetical order. Pictured here during the 2007 event are flags and marchers from Iran, Ethiopia, Israel and Italy.

This year's program includes the traditional parade, ethnic fare and clothing, plus a Native-American performing group, Fast Horses. This Minnesota-based Lakota family has performed music and dance worldwide since 1998. The group also will present in area schools on Friday, Sept. 19, and after the parade at Dee Stadium.

The famous marching band from Cass Tech High School in Detroit performs on the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2007 Parade of Nations. This year Fast Horses, a Minnesota-based Lakota family, will perform Native American music and dance.

Near Dee Stadium on Houghton's waterfront there will be a diverse offering of handcrafts and tasty treats from all over the globe. This year, an activity tent along with free pony rides will be available for children.

One of the pleasures of watching the Parade is the colorful display of traditional dress, like the lovely outfits worn here by participants from Nepal during the 2007 Parade.

The parade will feature community members and students from Michigan Tech and Finlandia universities -- all gathering to represent diverse heritages. The parade will include floats competing for prizes, local high school and middle school marching bands and the Michigan Tech Pep Band.

Japanese students from Finlandia University pause on the bridge for a photo by their teacher during the 2007 Parade.

"Parade of Nations emphasizes cultural uniqueness," said Muhlig. "At the same time, it teaches us what we, as human beings, have in common."

Michigan Tech Nigerian students walk and ride. Their traditional garb represents different regions of Nigeria.

Muhlig said on average, about 5,000 people attend the parade and festival annually.

During the Sept. 17 Hancock City Council meeting, Hancock City Manager Glenn Anderson and Mayor Pro Tem Bill Laitila encouraged Council members and the public to attend this year's parade since the opportunity to march from Hancock to Houghton will not be part of the 2009 parade. Anticipated construction in Houghton next year will restrict the 2009 celebration to the MTU campus, they explained.

More photos of the 2007 Parade:

MTU faculty and students from Pakistan represent their country in the 2007 Parade of Nations.

Members of the Indian Students Association perform in traditional dress during the celebration in Dee Stadium following the 2007 Parade.

African students perform a high-energy dance during the 2007 Dee Stadium performances.

Watch for these guys from Argentina this Saturday. They may be leading the parade again ... maybe after Albania and Angola! Hey, isn't that guy in the middle supposed to be taking photos for Keweenaw Now??

For more information about the parade, contact Lori Muhlig at 487-3692 or Madeline Mercado Voelker, Hispanic/Latino outreach coordinator, at 487-2920.

For information about Fast Horses, visit their Web site.

For MTU photos of the 2007 parade visit http://www.doe.mtu.edu/international/international_festival.html.