By Paris Wolfe
After two years of social restrictions and painful separations, family reunion hugs and sharing are needed more than ever, and are starting to feel safer than they have in months. For a 2022 or 2023 event, dates and locations must be chosen early… as in now. That way, you can lock in rates and venues. There’s a lot of pent-up planning going on, and places are going fast.
“From a cost standpoint, the best hotel rates will be during the non-peak season. So, you’re looking at February, March, April events,” says Kristin Augusta, owner/partner in DRIVE Marketing & Events in Chagrin Falls. DRIVE specializes in event planning, including family reunions. “For the best weather and outdoor activities and for folks on summer break, consider June through mid-October.”
Whatever the season, pick three or four dates then use email or a tool like SurveyMonkey to build consensus. Email and social media — a private Facebook group or e-vite, for example—simplify communication and planning.
Your Family, Your Style
The gathering can be as basic or as complicated as your family. Host a backyard potluck or work with a lodge/conference center. Head to a local metropark or outsource everything to planners and caterers.
“We cannot recommend the Cleveland Metroparks and Geauga County Parks districts’ amenities enough. These are not the dodgy lodges of yesteryear,” says Augusta. “The local Greater Cleveland parks have some of the most modern amenities and well-appointed buildings. Spacious, high ceilings, outdoor access, trails, grills, you name it. They are extremely affordable, and you can rent the entire day.”
“Large-scale family reunions often span an entire weekend,” says Augusta. For that, consider places that include lodging, like Punderson State Park and Manor Lodge or The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake. Both offer rooms, dining and activities.
“There are so many things to do at The Lodge,” says Daisy Hall, its Director of Sales and Marketing. “Families can always find just the right getaway for their group. Some families choose to stay on property and relax by the lakeside fire pits, stargazing and making s’mores — while others choose to venture off-site, discovering Geneva-on-the-Lake’s well-known entertainment strip.”
“Families delight in relaxing by the indoor and outdoor pools, enjoying lawn games, or renting bikes, golf carts or kayaks for daily activities,” Hall says.“Reunions are also big on the wine shuttle and zipline courses, where they can spend time as a group in a fun atmosphere, exploring the area.”
Local wineries with gathering rooms are another option for reunions. Sapphire Creek Winery & Gardens in Chagrin Falls, for example, has hosted family reunions. “We are skilled in hosting events ranging from small, intimate gatherings to very large-scale events,” owner Kathleen D’Angelo says. “Our guests love our indoor and outdoor spaces which give them a lot of flexibility in planning a reunion.”
Venues like The Lodge and wineries offer food, while potluck is popular in backyards and parks. When everyone is bringing a dish, use a signup sheet to balance contributions.
Caterers can also develop a menu of family favorites. “Families want to share memories and things of the past with the new generations,” says Chris Hodgson, president of Driftwood Restaurants and Catering. “There is no better way to do that than with food.”
“We always ask if there are any memories the family has together. Often there are holiday dishes that stand out,” he says. “Grandma’s ramen noodle salad, for example. We’ve even done a balsamic, caramelized onion and peanut butter toast which was grandpa’s favorite.”
Hodgson knows food isn’t the main event, although it’s a big part of the gathering. “Families having reunions want to see each other and catch up. We don’t want to intrude on the real purpose of the day: to bring the family together. Through menus, design, food placement and creativity, we seamlessly blend into the event.”
He adds, “In my personal opinion, limit the bar options. Make the day about family and reconnecting, not the gin and tonic.”
Whatever you choose for this year, Hall advises, “Gather as much information as you can at this year’s reunion to help plan for next year.”
Memory Makers
By Estelle Rodis-Brown
Now that you’ve gathered everyone together, how can you make the most of your shared family time?
When I was young, we didn’t have family reunions. All my aunts and uncles lived within driving distance — as did our grandparents — so we spent weekends, holidays and summer vacations with extended family… no official reunions required. Things are different now. I don’t even live in the same state as any of my siblings — let alone my cousins, nieces, nephews, surviving aunts and uncles — so, if we want to reunite with loved ones and graft the younger generations into the family tree, a big family reunion is in order.
If you’re in a similar situation and you’ve already got reunion plans in motion, be sure to make the big day or weekend truly meaningful. In addition to organizing the invitations, venue and shared meal(s), you can maximize interactions and further strengthen the family ties that bind with pre-planned activities, presentations and games. They will keep people from staying within tight cliques, will strengthen shared understanding of family history, and reinforce ethnic and other meaningful family traditions.
One of my friends travels to Indiana every summer for their annual family reunion, which provides an opportunity for four generations to reconvene from across the country and throughout the world. She and her siblings take turns pairing up and planning the big weekend event, which is usually held at a state park where people can choose to overstay in rented cabins, campsites or a lodge. The location is chosen based on its convenience for her parents, the patriarch and matriarch of the sprawling clan.
In between casual chatter, impromptu volleyball games, playground time and meals, time is set aside for shared presentations. Each household lines up in front of the crowd and displays a poster board showing how their nuclear family fits into the family tree. A spokesperson introduces everyone and gives a brief update on what/how each family member has been doing the past year.
Then the organizers break people into teams of older and younger family members mixed together to play a game or go on a scavenger hunt together, with puzzles to solve based upon their shared family history. Unexpected alliances and new bonds are formed as everyone has fun together.
Below are additional ideas (many from signupgenius.com) to consider:
ACTIVITIES
- Potluck & Family Recipe Share – Have your meal plan include a potluck of traditional family recipes. Everyone bringing food to share also brings recipe cards for every attending family, indicating who originated the recipe and why the food is special.
- Mealtime Conversation Starters – Provide question cards at each person’s chair at the start of every meal, such as: Where was your favorite vacation, what was your favorite subject in school or who was your best friend growing up? Be sure to shuffle and reassign cards for the next meal, and change around place card holders to encourage family members to sit in different places each time.
- Photo Display – Ask families to scan 10-20 photos stretching as far back as possible over the generations. Then email them to the party planner to compile and display on a wall or screen throughout the day. Share the photos through an online folder such as Google Photos.
- “Who’s Who” Baby Picture Contest – Everyone brings a baby picture with their name labeled on the back. Number and pin each photo onto a bulletin board and see who can get the most correct.
- Music Mix – Play grandma’s and grandpa’s favorite songs/music. If family members are musicians, ask them to perform traditional folk music from your ethnic backgrounds.
- Show & Tell – Encourage each family to bring an item to share, such as an antique instrument your great-grandfather used to play, an obsolete farm tool or an heirloom related to your heritage.
- Talent Show – Bet you never knew grandma used to twirl a baton! Find out your family’s secret skills and hidden talents and showcase your own.
- Family Map – Especially great for families with relatives spread across the country or world, mark a large map with all the locations where family members live and have each family share something interesting about their community.
GAMES/MIXERS
These downloadable, printable games can be found on Etsy, Pinterest or other websites for a nominal price.
- Family Reunion Bingo Cards (downloadable). As you mix and mingle with family members, have them sign the square(s) that best fits them. The person with the most signatures wins.
Or you can make your own Get to Know You Bingo Game. Prepare custom cards where players must find a family member who fits the category box, such as: Find a family member who played baseball in high school, find a family member whose favorite dessert is ice cream, find two cousins who are their family’s eldest, etc.
- Virtual Game Family Reunion Jep-arty! This interactive PowerPoint game is an editable family reunion party game via Zoom or in-person on TV.
- Family Friendly Feud (Version 2) – A fun party game of guessing top answers (printable group game).
Ready, Set, Go!
Start with a Checklist
By Paris Wolfe
The best-planned events start with a checklist. Here’s one to get you started.
- Open a Facebook page and invite family to join
- Solicit planners and volunteers
- Set a date
- Secure a location — backyard, park, party center
- Collect mail and email addresses
- Contact lodging options for availability
- Plan the main meal— caterer, potluck.
- Cover the costs — donations, fee-per-person, fundraiser/auction?
- Send “save the date” cards or emails
- Assign coordinators for food, games, activities, history, fundraising
- Schedule activities for the day or weekend
- Order T-shirts, hats, etc.
- Mail/email final invitations with schedule, lodging information, directions, details
- Confirm lodging and dining arrangements
- Gather dining products, chairs, tables, grills and other items
- Buy name tags and decorations
- Set up the event
- At the reunion, gather information for next year
- Post photos to social media
- Start planning for the next reunion
