New Additions Added to Hingham 4th of July Parade

Additional performers and new safety precautions will be in place for the Hingham 4th of July Parade on Thursday morning.

Jim Murphy, chair of the 4th of July Committee, said the annual parade will continue many of the same traditions of having floats from local businesses, organizations, schools and boy scouts. 

New this year will be a band from Somerville playing patriotic tunes and the new Hingham Harbormaster’s boat which will ride along Hingham police cruiser and fire engines.

“We’re always trying to build off from what we had before,” Murphy said.

The committee has also banned candy from being thrown from floats, Murphy said.  Any person who wishes to throw candy, will have to stand away from the moving floats, to avoid accidents.

Murphy said the committee is concerned children will be hit by the floats while picking up candy. 

The committee will also ban people from jumping off floats. Murphy said last year kids were spotted leaving their floats to collect candy, which can be dangerous.

Murphy, who has been chairman of the 4th of July committee for the last two years and has been a Hingham resident for 20 years, said "it’s a blast" to organize the parade.

“It’s something I feel very strong about,” Murphy said. “People tell me they watched the parade when they were young and have now passed it along to their kids. It’s great.  It’s really interwoven with the fabrics of our community.  The 4th of July means summer.”

The parade begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday. It starts at Hingham High School and ends in Downtown Hingham. 

The parade is funded by community donations.  Anyone who wishes to contribute to the parade should send checks made payable to the, “Hingham 4th of July Committee” and send them to 220 Central Street, Hingham, MA 02043.