ROCKFORD — After months of planning, Rockford Preservation Society is now opening registration for a reunion which members hope will bring together descendants of Rockford’s families.

For several years members of the society have talked about hosting a reunion. After two planning meetings with input from the community, the group is ready to open registration for the “Remember Rockford Families Reunion.”

Hannah Holyfield, president of the society, said the plans will continue to be fine-tuned over the next few months, but the group now has a schedule of events. Anyone with past or present ties to the historic village of Rockford, a former county seat of Surry, is welcome to attend the reunion, which will take place Sept. 3-5. The preservation society is sponsoring the Labor Day weekend event.

“This is the first reunion of this kind in Rockford,” Holyfield said in a press release. “It provides a wonderful opportunity for the village’s descendants to come back home, and to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.”

Early registration will run through June 30. The cost is $30 for individuals and $110 for a family of four. From July 1 to Aug. 15, the registration price will be $40 for individuals and $150 for a family of four. Aug. 15 is the final day to register. Holyfield explained this week that the group hopes to have 150 to 200 people register for this first reunion.

“If it grows from this, we could have it at one of the local wineries,” she said. “We do hope to have it again.”

Holyfield said the group plans to at least sponsor a picnic in Rockford each year to bring in descendants of Rockford residents. This year’s reunion could bring in people from as far as Canada and New Mexico, Holyfield says. The society may even give a prize to the person who comes the farthest.

“We expect people from lots of places,” said Holyfield.

For those who aren’t sure if their family is connected to Rockford, there is a list of Rockford family names on the society’s Web site. Go online to www.rememberrockford.com, click on “Heritage Families” on the left-hand side, then click on “Family Names” near the bottom of the page. Holyfield said there are some family names that may not be included, so if people have ties to Rockford but don’t see their name on the list, they can notify the society to include the name.

This year’s reunion of families will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3, with a catered dinner under a large tent on the lawn of the Rockford Inn Bed and Breakfast. Holyfield said there will be family tables set up where people can sit with people of the same last name and get to know each other.

The next day, Revolutionary War re-enactors will be at the Rockford Park and Civil War re-enactors will be at the 1830 York Tavern. At noon on Saturday, reunion guests will enjoy a barbecue picnic at the Rockford Inn. The day’s entertainment at Rockford Park will include whittling, knife swapping, a quilting display and raffle, old-fashioned lawn games, an art contest with prizes for children, musical entertainers, food vendors, and exhibitors.

On Sunday, the reunion will end with a worship service at 11 a.m. at Rockford Methodist Church. It will be followed by a time of remembrance at the community cemetery next to Rockford Baptist Church.

Throughout the weekend, several Rockford businesses will be open and volunteers will share the history and stories of the village. At the 1914 Rockford Methodist Church, volunteers from the Surry County Genealogical Association will help families trace their local ancestries. Guests can bring old family photographs and historical documents to share. Duplicating the images will available for a small fee.

“We’re really excited about it,” said Holyfield.

Society members believe this reunion could help the local economy. Holyfield said, “We so hope that while they’re here, not only will they see what there is to see in Rockford, but they will visit wineries and go to local restaurants.”

People can register for the reunion by mail or online through a link at www.rememberrockford.com. To request a packet by mail, call Hannah Holyfield at 374-3825 or e-mail her at hannah@rockfordbedandbreakfast.com.

The registration fee covers the cost of admission, two catered meals, entertainment, and shuttle service within the village. The society is still looking for more volunteers and donors for the reunion. Contributions may be mailed to the Rockford Preservation Society at 4844 Rockford Road, Dobson, NC, 27017.

The society will have a volunteer meeting and another planning meeting in upcoming weeks. Holyfield said, “It’s going to be a big undertaking ... We still have a lot more to go.”

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.