International foods, talent, fun at 2017 Parade of Nations Sept. 16

A large crowd enjoys the great variety of international foods during the Multicultural Festival following the 2016 Parade of Nations in the Dee Stadium in Houghton. This year's Parade of Nations will be Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (2016 photos by Keweenaw Now)

By Jennifer Donovan, Michigan Tech Director of News and Media Relations
Posted Sept. 5, 2017, on Michigan Tech News
Reprinted with permission
2016 photos by Keweenaw Now

HOUGHTON -- Foods from around the world -- including dishes from Iran, Indonesia, China, India, Ghana, Turkey, Nepal, Bangladesh, Africa and Ukraine -- are on the menu at this year’s Parade of Nations Multicultural Festival.

The Multicultural Festival, starting at noon Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Dee Stadium, follows the Parade.

International entertainment is also on tap, with the Kivajat Finnish folk dancers, belly dancing by 47 North, a Bollywood extravaganza performed by Michigan Technological University’s Indian Student Association, a Keweenaw Bay Indian Community performance, the Michigan Tech Dance Team, the Maple Sugar Folk and singer Jan Arnold.

Dancers and drummers from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) perform during the 2016 Multicultural Festival. They will perform again this year.

A crafts tent will be outside the Dee, and the upstairs ballroom in the stadium will feature quieter seating for diners and a series of Gappa talks by international students from Michigan Tech. Gappa is a Hindi word meaning "chit-chat," a chance for Multicultural Festival guests to learn about and interact informally with international students.

Members of Michigan Tech's Indian Student Association perform a lively dance during the 2016 Multicultural Festival. They will perform again this year in Dee Stadium.

Headline Act -- China Gold

This year’s headline act is China Gold, a martial arts-based performance featuring lighting, music, choreography and stage effects highlighting feats of athleticism and gymnastic prowess. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Rozsa Center.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children and no charge for students who have paid the Experience Tech fee. The headline act is sponsored in part by the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts and the MUB Board.

(Inset poster courtesy Rozsa Center)

The theme of this year’s Parade of Nations is "Think Globally, Celebrate Locally."

Parade begins at 11 a.m. in Hancock

Representatives of many countries line up for the Parade on the Quincy Green, near the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock. Participants from Turkey are pictured here with the university mascots -- Michigan Tech's Huskey and Finlandia's Lion -- in preparation for the 2016 Parade of Nations.

The Parade, featuring floats and flags of more than 60 nations, begins at 11 a.m. in Hancock and crosses the Portage Lift Bridge, proceeding through downtown Houghton to the Dee Stadium. This year’s parade marshal is Rick Buis Stanitis, director of Canterbury House.

Two representatives of Argentina, Gustavo Bourdieu and friend Sara, march in the 2016 Parade of Nations as it heads from Hancock to the Portage Lift Bridge and Houghton.

Parade goers will have a chance to win a Chicago Getaway package including airfare and hotel accommodations for two and a "Go Chicago" card good for three attractions. To enter, all you have to do is hold up an "I love Parade of Nations" sign during the parade. The winner will be announced at the Multicultural Festival following the parade.

Parade of Nations T-shirts are for sale for $20 at the International Programs and Services online store. Donations to the event can also be made at that site.

This is the 28th annual Parade of Nations, a celebration of the international heritage and multi-cultural essence of the community. Parade of Nations is sponsored by Michigan Tech, Finlandia University, and community businesses and residents.

More photos from the 2016 Parade of Nations:

Young KBIC dancers wear colorful regalia for their 2016 performance in the Dee Stadium. Watch for them again this year!

Local residents Barbara Quenzi, left, and Joanne Thomas carry the flag and banner for Croatia, the country of their ancestors.

These lovely young ladies remind us of our southern neighbor.
 

Huskies get ready to march in the parade.

...and here are just a few more of the many countries represented by our international students:

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.