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, September 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.
There will also be a crafts tent 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.
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.
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.
The theme of this year’s Parade of Nations is “Think Globally, Celebrate Locally.”
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.
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 a “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.
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.
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