Thanks for all the great ideas on this issue. The problem is that it is fun and popular and it's held on family property, which is the uniqueness of it, and that is where we have held it for 33 years. We had a great outdoor 4 day Thanksgiving weekend. It's not the money, as many people do donate, and there is always enough food as it is pot luck. It's the idea of so many guests who like it keep coming back and it ends up being several small sub-reunions at the one big reunion. Also the facilites are limited for cooking and bathrooms. It's not just a big party, but was created for family to be with family. When a guest invites their relatives, it gets sticky. We did send out a nice letter explaining the space and limitations and asked not to extend "standing invitations" to guests.

I dunno.... I am stuck in the middle. I know feelings will get hurt, it's unavoidable, but we are setting precedents here for the upcoming generation. Will they bring their in-laws every year? It would be disasterous.

Thanks everyone.