June 23, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
Thousands of spectators of all ages from near and far will line the parade route from Hingham Centre to the downtown area to view Hingham’s traditional Fourth of July parade. This year’s theme is “Building Brighter Futures.”
The popular event will feature longtime Hingham resident Paul Callahan as the new Uncle Sam, following in the footsteps of George Ford — who held that role for 17 years and will appear in the parade as the grand marshal.
“This is quite an honor,” Ford told the Hingham Anchor. “As I approach my 87th birthday, I’m reminded of what a privilege it has been to have participated in the parade as Uncle Sam for so many years. Serving as grand marshal is a nice tribute.”
Drone show July 2
Festivities start on July 2 at the bathing beach off Rte. 3A at 6 p.m., featuring food trucks, live music, and Hingham’s first-ever spectacular after-dark drone show. Go to https://hinghamhistorical.org/drone-show-hingham-celebrates-americas-250th/ for more details.
The Hingham Recreation Road Race — one of the region’s oldest foot races, will precede the parade — which will step out from Hingham High School promptly at 10 a.m. For road race information or to register, go to https://hinghamma.myrec.com/info/default.aspx.
The parade will feature colorful floats — including one celebrating the life of Adelia the Wonder Girl — 10 bands, ranging from the Bag Pipers to Mariachi to brass, and even some homegrown rock; Brewster Ambulance, Daley and Wanzer, Williams Energy, and the Bare Cove Fire Museum all bringing multiple antique and unique autos from their respective industries; and the Hingham High School Girls Hockey team, this year’s State Hockey CHAMPS this year.
Many other town groups and teams will also participate, including Hingham Little League, Hingham Girls and Hingham Youth Hockey, the Cub Scouts, Hingham Historical Society, Hingham High Crew, and many more.
The parade will go on rain or shine — but in case of a storm, the Hingham Police Department may call it off. There is no rain date.
Red, white, and blue lines are painted on the part of the roadway that constitutes the parade route, adding a festive touch.
Mila McKinnies, the parade button design winner for 2025, will be walking proudly with her friends and family.
Bob Fournier, who served in all three branches of service — the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, and the Massachusetts Army National Guard — during his military years, will be celebrated as the Town of Hingham’s 2024 Hank Maude “Service above Self” Veteran of the Year in the parade.
Fournier’s service included overseas deployments and numerous awards and ribbons, including the Bronze Star.
Many spectators dress in red, white, and blue clothing, wearing parade buttons and waving American flags.
“This parade would be hard to pull off without sponsors like Fidelity Investments, Hingham Investor Center, A.W. Perry, McCusker-Gill, and many others who have generously supported the parade for many years,” Pat Kirk, 2025 parade co-chair with Jim Murphy, told the Hingham Anchor.
‘It’s an honor to lead the parade’
Callahan — a friend of Ford, who “volunteered” him to become the next Uncle Sam (he willingly accepted!) — is looking forward to his first time marching in this role.
Callahan — who is a member of the Fourth of July Parade Committee — considers it an honor to lead the parade, waving to and greeting the spectators lining the parade route — including his daughter and family, who will travel from Foxboro as they normally do, with the added excitement of seeing their father/grandfather in this new role.
“I’ve been going to the parade since we moved to Hingham in 1979,” Callahan, who lives on Garrison Road close to the parade route, told the Hingham Anchor.
Callahan made Ford’s acquaintance 15 or 20 years ago when they passed each other while running in town along the same route. Callahan greeted Ford, and the following day as well, when they were running at the same time again.
The two became fast friends and ran together for many years and now regularly walk together.
‘George has done a lot for the town’
Callahan is pleased that Ford will be this year’s grand marshal. “George has done a lot for the town, not only in his role as Uncle Sam for so long, but also volunteering in various capacities over the years, which is important in a small town like Hingham,” he said.
Ford served as town counsel for two decades and was chair of the advisory committee and a member of the historic districts commission for six years each. He served on the parade committee for 18 years.
Ford thinks Callahan is the perfect fit as the next Uncle Sam. “He has a real beard — that is the most difficult part, glueing and keeping the beard in place when it’s a warm day with high humidity!”
Also important is the fact that Callahan fits into the Uncle Sam uniform, which Ford said is suited to an individual who is between 5-feet, 10 inches to 6 feet tall and weighs between 165 and 175 pounds.
“Paul learned what he knows about being in the role of Uncle Sam from me,” Ford quipped. “We walk together every morning, and I have given him all my secrets as Uncle Sam!”
‘Most anticipated event of the year’
The Fourth of July parade is “the single most anticipated event in town, bringing out more than 25,000 folks along the parade route,” Ford said. “Generations of different families return to town every year just for the parade, which marks the milestone of Hingham during the year and brings everyone together.”
Visit https://www.hingham-ma.gov/678/Fourth-of-July for more information about the parade, parade route, detours and parking restrictions, and sponsorships. Parade costs are covered by sponsorships, the 50 Flag Campaign, parade button sales, registration fees, and donations. No tax money is used to fund the event.
The 50 Flags campaign raises money to cover more than 50 percent of parade costs, which amount to about $55,000 each year.
Visit https://www.hingham-ma.gov/944/50-Flags-Campaign for details.
Join Harbor Media LIVE on Main Street starting at 9 AM for their annual pre-show, hosted by Harbor Media’s Executive Director, Michelle Balconi, and Brian Sullivan (former PBS reporter). Enjoy interviews with local community members and all the pre-parade excitement!
Live Parade coverage will start around 10:30 AM as it reaches Harbor Media’s broadcast location!
Catch the full coverage on Harbor Media’s HD channels on Comcast 1072, Verizon 2131, or stream it live on their website by clicking the link below!