*Article from Greet Hingham, June 2026*
By Pam Robinson
The Fourth of July Parade is one of Hingham’s most cherished traditions. The annual parade button, one of its most recognizable features, has become a community staple. On July 4, 1992, Geri Duff bought five of them: one for herself, one for her husband, and one for each of their three children. That day, Geri didn’t mean to start a collection, but that’s exactly what happened.
The parade buttons created a way for residents to directly support the event’s success. The Parade Committee, in partnership with the Hingham Rotary Club, sells buttons at local businesses and during the parade to help fund the following year’s festivities. Each year, the Committee chooses one lucky student’s artwork, turning a young artist into a permanent part of Hingham history.
Each year at the parade, Geri bought her five buttons. Eventually, as her children grew up, the buttons were “tucked away in the attic when the kids didn’t want them anymore,” Geri recalls. Now, each one tells a story. “These are all the parades my kids and I have gone to over the years,” she says. Her favorite is from 2022, which features the Hersey Bucket – a reference to Hingham’s early reputation for bucket-making craftsmanship.
This year, Geri’s collection won’t stay tucked away; it will be part of Hingham’s first-ever Button Swap, hosted by the Hingham Rotary Club. The event aims to raise awareness of the button’s history, give residents a chance to swap or purchase buttons from collectors (including extras from past years), and pick up this year’s design. For those looking to start a collection, Geri recommends using a baseball card binder. “It fits the buttons just perfectly!”
