Buttons are full of mysteries, says Cynthia Bartlett, newly elected president of the New Jersey State Button Society (NJSBS). “I am amazed that after 30 years, I am still curious about buttons, still looking for clues to how each was made.”

The  NJSBS will present its Show and Competition on Saturday, September 9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union Fire Company fire hall, 1396 River Road (Route 29), Titusville, NJ 08560, and there is plenty of free parking. Admission is $2 for adults, free for juniors.

Members of  the 76-year-old society like to study, collect, and preserve clothing buttons, both old and new. Eager to share their knowledge with those just beginning to collect, they will present a 1 p.m. program entitled “Nancy Drew Button Mystery: clues to materials and histories.“For details contact Cynthia Bartlett at 1-732-356-4132 or buttonsinnewjersey@gmail.com, or  visit  http://newjerseystatebuttonsociety.org.

The show attracts antique enthusiasts, quilters, crafters,  reenactors, and those seeking special buttons to wear. Anyone who pays the $10 membership fee may enter the NJSBS competitions, which are judged by popular vote. The button artwork category will appeal to quilters, and crafters might choose button wearables or button jewelry. One  competition category honors the memory of the late John Sagi; another honors the late button author Anne Flood. Featured will be buttons that show animals, Santa Claus images, and even carrots.

The Union Fire Company & Rescue Squad building is located at the intersection of Route 29 and Park Lake Avenue in Titusville, opposite the Delaware River and D&R Canal State Park (with  easy access to the canal park), a half mile north of Washington Crossing State Park in Hopewell Township, and some five miles south of Lambertville and New Hope, PA.