Forty countries were represented in Saturday’s 32nd annual Parade of Nations in Houghton. Above, students from Nepal walk together. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo by Garrett Neese)

HOUGHTON — The flags of 40 countries waved on the Houghton waterfront Saturday for the 32nd annual Parade of Nations.

This year’s was the first since 2019, after a year off due to COVID-19. Precautions forced the cancellation of the Multicultural Festival, which typically follows the parade at Dee Stadium.

To go with the 2021 theme, “The World is Calling,” Nepal’s group included a marcher dressed as a Lakhey, a demon from Nepali folklore that fought plagues and other problems in the villages.

“It used to live in the forest and only come out in times of trouble,” said Shreya Joshi, a third-year physics student at Michigan Technological University. “In the real world, we don’t have a Lakhey. But the world is calling us like the Lakhey, to come together and fight the plague together.”

Joshi said the parade reminded him of a similar celebration in Nepal where his city shuts down for parades.

“In 2019, we had four people, and now the community is increasing,” Joshi said. “We meet a lot of people this way, and it almost feels like we’re back home.”

With bridge construction cutting off traffic on one of the southbound lanes on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, the normal Hancock-to-Houghton route also changed. Marchers instead went from Franklin Square along Lakeshore Drive to the Kestner Waterfront Park.

“We just found an alternative, because we want to celebrate diversity in the community,” said co-organizer Mayra Sanchez. “So we just made it work with a different route, and I think it went really well.”

Onlookers enjoyed the traditional outfits, colorful floats, and touches like the flame-shooting trumpets of the Michigan Tech Pep Band.

Osvaldo Cruz, an international business senior at Finlandia, has been busy with soccer during previous parades. But he was glad he came out to watch Saturday.

“I thought it was amazing seeing so many people come together from nations and countries, especially in an area like this, where it’s predominantly American,” he said. “You can see looking now, there’s a lot of different cultures, different dress.”

After the parade ended, many participants lingered at the Kestner Waterfront Park, talking with friends or talking group photos by the water.

It was the first time marching in the parade for Aman Poovalappil, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering and a member of Tech’s Indian Students Association.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “It was nice to see all the countries together as a message that everybody’s human.”

The plan for next year is to bring back the Multicultural Festival at the Dee. With bridge construction presumably done, the original route from Hancock to Houghton will come back too.

“It’s important for everybody in the community to understand that this is a community celebration from the cities of Houghton and Hancock, Michigan Tech and Finlandia University,” Sanchez said. “It’s not only for one university. It’s a community celebration.”

Sanchez also hopes more people from the community take part in the celebration, which begins weeks before the parade. She noted the winner of this year’s scavenger hunt was a team from outside the universities.

“I really want everyone in the community to be part of this — to get out, to walk, to claim a flag,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to come and celebrate diversity in the Keweenaw.”