Host Cities

Huguely Reunion Host Cities (1954 – Present)
Prepared by Lucian Huguely, Jr.
April 2015
(Updated in April 2024)

In 1954, Huguely family members convened at the farm of Cousin Ossie Embry in Madison County, KY, to organize the Huguely First Family Reunion.  The outcome of that meeting was an annual one-day picnic to be held on the Sunday before Labor Day.  For the first twenty-one years (1955-1975), the picnics were held mostly at the farm of Uncle Pleas and Aunt Liller Kavanaugh in Madison County, Richmond, KY.

In 1976, Lucian Huguely, Jr, Ronald Derricks, and Freddie Turner took it upon themselves to add entertainment on the Saturday night before the Sunday picnic by scheduling a dance at the old Richmond High School with the “Dynamic Soul 7” band providing the music.  The picnic was held the next day at Jacobson Park in Lexington, KY.

In 1979, under the Huguely Reunion presidency of Lillord (Lee) Lee Cobb, the By-Laws Committee, comprised of Charlie Gillespie, Johnny Ballew, and Lucian Huguely, Jr, was directed to amend the 1976 by-laws with approval to add Branch Representatives, with the number of representatives dependent on branch family size.

In 1983, under the Huguely Reunion presidency of Melvyn Huguely, a permanent Entertainment Committee was formed.

In 1987, during the Huguely Reunion presidency of Lucille Ellison, the five (5) permanent “Host Cities” were created: Lexington, Richmond, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Detroit.  However, several cities hosted the reunion following Lexington in 1980 and prior to the creation of Host Cities in 1987.

In August 2015, during the Huguely Reunion Business Meeting in Lexington, KY, Treasurer Vicki Mitchell presented a new initiative (proposal/ justification/ benefits) to expand the number of Host Cities to nine (9) to include: Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas/Houston area.  After much discussion, the full Huguely Reunion body approved.

The complete list of host cities since 1980 is as follows:

  • 1980 – Lexington, KY
  • 1981 – Dayton, OH
  • 1982 – Detroit, MI
  • 1983 – Cincinnati, OH
  • 1984 – Dayton, OH
  • 1985 – Los Angeles, CA
  • 1986 – Dayton, OH
  • 1987 – Madison County, KY
  • 1988 – Detroit, MI
  • 1989 – Cincinnati, OH (35th Anniversary)
  • 1990 – Lexington/Richmond, KY
  • 1991 – Dayton, OH
  • 1992 – Lexington, KY
  • 1993 – Detroit, MI
  • 1994 – Cincinnati, OH
  • 1995 – Gatlinburg, TN
  • 1996 – Charlotte, NC
  • 1997 – Columbia, MD (WDC/Baltimore)
  • 1998 – Richmond/Berea, KY
  • 1999 – Dayton, OH
  • 2000 – Denver, CO
  • 2001 – Detroit, MI
  • 2002 – Cincinnati, OH
  • 2003 – Lexington, KY
  • 2004 – Richmond/Berea, KY (50th Anniversary)
  • 2005 – Louisville, KY
  • 2006 – Detroit, MI
  • 2007 – Dayton, OH
  • 2008 – Cincinnati, OH
  • 2009 – Gatlinburg, TN
  • 2010 – Berea/Richmond, KY
  • 2011 – Detroit, MI
  • 2012 – Atlanta, GA
  • 2013 – Indianapolis, IN
  • 2014 – Cincinnati, OH (60th Anniversary)
  • 2015 – Lexington, KY
  • 2016 – Detroit, MI
  • 2017 – Washington, DC
  • 2018 – Gatlinburg, TN
  • 2019 – Richmond, KY
  • 2020 – Canceled
  • 2021 – Canceled
  • 2022 – Detroit, MI
  • 2023 – Los Angeles, CA
  • 2024 – Lexington, KY
  • 2025 – Nassau, Bahamas (Cruise)

Every year, the host city has done its very best to make the reunion and its activities special, exciting, interesting, entertaining, and unforgettable!!!