Stars, Stripes -- and Buttons!

"Stars, Stripes, and Buttons” will be on display on Saturday, September 19 when the New Jersey State Button Society (NJSBS) hosts its Fall 2026 Button Show and Competition from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union Fire Company and Rescue Squad at 1396 River Road in Titusville. Admission and parking are free.

Button historian Johnson Frazier will speak about the rare commemorative buttons that honored Marquis de Lafayette during his 1824 tour of the United States. Creative art entries -- with such themes as Happy Birthday USA and Fashions in Lafayette’s Time– will be on display, along with craft projects, like the “make a button from a poker chip” challenge organized by artist Nancy DeDubois.

Experienced and knowledgeable dealers will also be on site to offer hundreds of antique, vintage and modern clothing buttons, educational books, and more for purchase. Guests may enter to win one of several door prizes and purchase tickets for NJSBS’ popular raffle.

Founded in 1941, when a nationwide interest in button collecting was surging, the NJSBS helps its members to study, collect, and enjoy garment buttons from the present and centuries past. Monthly club meetings are held in Lawrence, Bridgewater, Montgomery, and Manchester. The Fall Show and Competition and parking are free. For more information about button collecting or membership, please email ButtonsInNewJersey@gmail.com or go to NewJerseyStateButtonSociety.com.