All Together Now

Every Fourth of July for almost a century, 60 to 80 members of the Haugen family -- from newborn to 94 years old -- travel from their homes in Minnesota and Colorado for fried chicken, a much-anticipated game of Bunco (with "prizes" like an old parking meter), hula dancing, and a pie-eating contest. Aunt Doris and Aunt Pearl sing "Springtime in the Rockies," and the family newsletter, The Norwegian Enquirer, keeps everyone informed about the day's happenings. This year they will congregate at a Haugen family homestead in Murray County, Minnesota.

"Everyone wants to be a Haugen after our family reunion," says Dodi Haugen of Slayton, Minnesota. "We have such a great time."

While we can't magically make you a Haugen, we can offer tips and tools to help make your reunion the envy of all your friends.