Family Reunion Barbecue

 Up to 2 Months Before

• Make meat patties for Grilled Bacon-Cheeseburgers for a Crowd; freeze tightly wrapped.
• Patties can be transported frozen.
• Bake Mint-Chocolate Brownies, but do not frost. Store tightly wrapped in freezer.

A Few Days Before

• Make Sweet and Crunchy Snack Mix; store tightly covered.

The Day Before

• Make Old-Fashioned Lemonade; store refrigerated.
• Make Old-Fashioned Potato Salad; store refrigerated.
• Make Deviled Eggs; refrigerate covered.
• Remove brownies from freezer; frost and drizzle glaze. Store covered.

The Morning Of

• Make Seven-Layer Salad; refrigerate covered.

Up to 5 Hours Before

• Make Slow Cooker Baked Beans. You may take uncooked beans to your reunion site and plug in the slow cooker at the site if there are electrical facilities.
• Make Easy Raspberry Trifle; store covered in refrigerator.

 1 to 1 1/2 Hours Before Serving

• If using a charcoal grill, heat grill.

About 15 Minutes Before Serving

• Grill cheeseburgers.

Getting Family Together

• Confer with family members months before to set a date and location. If the reunion isn't being held at someone's house, call the park board or a private site to arrange for a picnic site with a shelter in case of inclement weather. Gather grills if not available at home or the park.

• Send out reminders, along with a schedule of events, to all families attending. If you're sharing the food preparation, enclose the recipe(s) you want them to prepare and a list of any extras to bring, such as paper and plastic products and condiments.

Family Fun

• Ask family members to coordinate activities, such as sporting events, talent show, scavenger hunt, watermelon-seed-spitting contest and bingo. Have them assemble prizes, for example, candy or other nonperishable food items, notepads, gift certificates to nationwide chain ice-cream shops or movie theaters.
• Put a white paper tablecloth on each table (secure with spring-type clothespins if windy). Have each family attending create with crayons a "family crest" on the tablecloths, representing what makes their family special.
• Give partygoers 10 recipe cards each. Have them write the name of a not-immediate family member at the top of each card, followed by one or two memories of that person. Collect the cards and place them in a basket for guests to read at leisure during the party.

Remember with Photos

• Have each family bring a recent photo album or other special items. Place them all on a table (away from the food) for everyone to enjoy at their leisure.
• Give a disposable camera to each family, and ask them to take and later share photos of the event.

 Table Decorations

• Gather wildflowers (or purchase flowers), and place them in canning or other jars; tie at the rim with ribbon or raffia. Or use potted flowers on each table as centerpieces, and raffle them off at the end of the reunion.
• Make name tags from copies of current or old photos.