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Quick answer: start family reunion planning 12 months out. Pick the date and the region at 12 months, book the shared house and the RV and tent sites at 9 to 12 months, collect money at 6 months, send the plan at 2 months and confirm headcount at 2 weeks. For a summer 2027 reunion, that means picking the date this fall. Our family reunion page shows how a reunion works at Inez Spring.
This timeline is written for the one person in the family who always ends up organizing. It breaks the job into small, dated steps so nothing lands on the last week.
Family reunion planning is the work of choosing a date, a place and a budget for an extended family gathering, then booking lodging, sharing costs and setting a simple schedule, usually over 6 to 12 months.
| When | What to do | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months out | Pick the date, the region and the length of stay | Organizer plus one person per branch |
| 9 to 12 months out | Book the shared house, then hold RV and tent sites | Organizer |
| 8 months out | Send the save the date with the per household cost | Organizer |
| 6 months out | Collect shared money; each household books its own site | Each household |
| 4 months out | Choose the one shared activity per day; assign meals | Branch leads |
| 2 months out | Send the one page plan; order shirts | Organizer |
| 2 weeks out | Confirm headcount, arrival times, dietary needs | Organizer |
| Week of | Shop, pack the supply box, check the weather | House team |
Make three decisions: when, where and how long. Ask one person from each branch of the family for their best two weekends and their worst two. Pick the date with the fewest conflicts, not the most votes.
For the region, find the middle of where everyone lives. For many Texas families that is somewhere along I-20. From Inez Spring at Exit 343 in Eastland, Abilene is about 50 minutes, Fort Worth about 1 hour 35 minutes, Dallas about 2 hours, Austin about 3 hours 40 minutes and Houston about 5 hours 40 minutes.
For length, two nights is the most common choice. Three nights makes sense when families drive more than four hours.
Right after the date is set, 9 to 12 months out for summer and holiday weekends. Book the shared house first, because it is the piece that cannot be replaced. Then hold neighboring RV and tent sites for the group.
At Inez Spring the barndominium sleeps 11 in 4 bedrooms with 4 bathrooms, with a full kitchen, BBQ and movie theater. The park has more than 70 RV sites from $40 a night and tent sites from about $31 a night. Barndominium rates are on the booking page. For a full cost worksheet, read our family reunion venue cost guide.
About six months out, before the deposits pile up on one credit card. Send each household its share of the shared items, the house and the group meals, with a clear due date. Each household books and pays for its own RV or tent site directly.
Split shared costs by household, not by head. It is the fairest method we see, and it keeps the big families and the single grandparents on equal footing.
One page is enough. Longer plans do not get read. For activity ideas, see family reunion ideas for every age.
Final headcount, arrival times, dietary needs and anyone with mobility needs who should have the room closest to the kitchen. Check the forecast. Confirm that every RV family has its site booked and knows its rig length fits. Pull through sites at Inez Spring run up to 100 feet.
If you are hosting three generations, our three-generation camping reunion planner covers who needs what, from grandparents to toddlers.
Keep it short and put the money in it. A good save the date has five lines: the dates, the place with the exit number, the sleeping options (house, RV site or tent site), the shared cost per household with the due date, and the organizer phone number. Ask every household to reply with a yes, a maybe or a no by a set date. A clear deadline gets more replies than a friendly open question, and it tells you early whether to hold more RV sites or release the ones you do not need.
Nobody should plan a reunion alone. Name four helpers early, one for each job:
The organizer then owns only the date, the venue and the final plan.
You can still do it. Compress the steps: pick the date and book the house in the first week, send the cost and the plan in the second, and confirm headcount two weeks out. Choose a weekend that is not a holiday, since those book first. A short notice reunion in fall or winter often has more open sites than a summer weekend.
Start 12 months out. Book the shared house and group sites 9 to 12 months ahead for summer and holiday weekends, collect money at 6 months and send the final plan at 2 months.
Pick the date, the region and the length of stay. Ask one person per family branch for their best and worst weekends, then choose the date with the fewest conflicts.
Two nights is the most common. Three nights is worth it when families drive more than four hours to attend.
Each household pays for its own sleeping spot, such as an RV or tent site, and the shared house and group meals are split by household. Collect shared money about six months out.
Yes. Book the house in the first week, send the cost and plan in the second, avoid holiday weekends and confirm headcount two weeks out.
Along I-20 between Abilene and Fort Worth. Inez Spring at Exit 343 in Eastland is about 50 minutes from Abilene, 1 hour 35 minutes from Fort Worth and 2 hours from Dallas.
A reunion is a year of small decisions, not one big one. Put the dates in your calendar today, and the organizer gets to enjoy the weekend too.
See the house on our barndominium page, check open dates on the booking page, or call (254) 629-1197.
