The Parade Must Go On!

By Carol Britton Meyer

It's a "go" for the 2021 Hingham Fourth of July parade!

​While the Fourth of July Parade Committee remained hopeful that the event would take place in some form this year, it wasn't definite until Gov. Charlie Baker's recent announcement that all Massachusetts businesses and industries -- including parades and festivals -- may now operate at 100 percent capacity. The State of Emergency will end June 15.

"We're jump-starting the parade mechanism to get things in motion, "Parade Committee Chair Jim Murphy said recently.

​The committee has been working closely with the town's Incident Management Team Command Group in making a decision about whether this year's event would be cancelled, postponed, or go on as usual, with safety as the first priority.

"The IMT Command Group felt that if the governor was comfortable with lifting all restrictions [as of May 29], we should be able to proceed with the parade in July," Town Administrator Tom Mayo, who is a member of the group, said recently.

"We have asked the parade committee to work with the Health Department for suggestions and mitigating measures that may be available."  

​The parade committee will continue working with the Command Group to ensure a safe event for spectators, participants, and the entire community.

In the meantime, Uncle Sam (longtime Hingham resident George Ford, who has been in that role for years and loves it!) is reaching out to different bands to see if they're available.

Great news, with more details to come!

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