27th annual Parade of Nations is Sept. 17

Indian students walk across the Portage Lift Bridge during the 2015 Parade of Nations. This year's Parade of Nations begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Hancock. Construction on Quincy Street has progressed and the parade will follow the usual route from Hancock to Houghton, ending at Dee Stadium for the Multicultural Festival of international food and entertainment. (2015 Keweenaw Now photo).

By Jennifer Donovan, Michigan Tech Director of News and Media Relations
With photos by Keweenaw Now 

HOUGHTON -- Passport to the World is the theme of the 2016 Parade of Nations. The 27th annual Parade of Nations this Saturday, Sept. 17, is a celebration of the international heritage and flavor of our community.

It kicks off at 11 a.m. with a parade from Hancock to the Dee Stadium in Houghton, with floats, bands and marchers in traditional dress carrying the flags of their countries.

Students and community members from many countries carry their flags and wear colorful traditional dress in the Parade of Nations. Here they cross the Portage Lift Bridge on the way to Houghton. (2015 Keweenaw Now photo)

Floats in the parade will compete for $500 in cash prizes. Anyone who brings an "I Love Parade of Nations" sign to the parade will be entered in a Chicago Weekend Family Getaway drawing for a prize package that includes airfare, hotel and entertainment.

During the 2015 Parade, this young representative of Kyrgyzstan carries an "I love Parade of Nations" sign to be eligible for a prize. (2015 Keweenaw Now photo)

Ever eaten Moroccan food? Food from Bangladesh? How about Turkey? Those are just a few of more than 20 nations whose cuisines you can sample at the Multicultural Festival in Dee Stadium, following the parade.

Admission is free; meals or snacks can be purchased at the food booths.

Dee Stadium in Houghton is the scene of the Multicultural Festival. Booths with a variety of international cuisines welcome visitors. (2015 Keweenaw Now photo)

During the Multicultural Festival, entertainers representing many countries and traditions will perform on a raised stage. They include the Kivijat Dancers; cloggers; music and Bollywood dancers from the Michigan Tech Indian Students Association; Bells on the Bay, a group of handbell performers; singer Jan Arnold, who accompanies herself on the guitar; the Michigan Tech Dance Squad; and Bob Hiltunen, a singer who plays guitar, bass and keyboards. The Michigan Tech Pep Band will march in the Parade.

The Copper Country Cloggers are a favorite part of the entertainment in Dee Stadium. (2015 Keweenaw Now photo) Click below to see a slide show with more Keweenaw Now photos of the 2015 Parade of Nations.

Jam-skating at Rozsa Center

The headline act this year is Breaksk8, a professional jam-skating team that likes to push the limits of dancing with wheels under your shoes.

They have toured the world and appeared in films. Breaksk8 will skate in the parade on Saturday, Sept. 17, and put on a colorful show at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts on the Michigan Tech campus at 7:30 p.m. that evening.

BreakSk8 has amazed audiences around the globe with their unique style of entertainment on wheels. Never before have roller skating and break dancing been combined in such an acrobatic, athletic, artistic and precise display of talent. Tickets are on sale now, $10 for adults, $5 for youth, and free for Michigan Tech Students with the Experience Tech Fee. Call (906) 487-2073 or purchase tickets on line at rozsa.mtu.edu.

Parade of Nations is sponsored by Michigan Technological University, Finlandia University, the cities of Houghton and Hancock, and a wide variety of local civic organizations and businesses.

Editor's Note:

Click here to see Keweenaw Now's photo album with more photos of the 2015 Parade of Nations.To view it as a slide show, click on the first photo and follow the arrows to the right. Click on the info icon to see the captions.