Hawley Family Reunion Returns to Connecticut for America’s 250th Anniversary

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Hawley Family Reunion Returns to Connecticut for America’s 250th Anniversary

Historic family society will gather in New Haven October 8–11 for four days of history, fellowship, and Connecticut heritage

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Members of the Society of the Hawley Family will return to Connecticut this October for the organization’s 93rd Annual Reunion, bringing Hawley descendants from across the country together in the state where their family’s American story began nearly four centuries ago.

The reunion will take place October 8–11, 2026, in New Haven under the theme “Reconnecting with Our Roots: Hawleys at America’s 250.” The gathering coincides with the United States’ semiquincentennial and will highlight the Hawley family’s longstanding connections to Connecticut and early American history.

Founded more than a century ago, the Society of the Hawley Family preserves and shares the history and genealogy of Hawley families in America, including descendants of Joseph Hawley, one of the early settlers of Stratford, Connecticut.

“This year’s reunion is really a homecoming,” said Ryan Hawley of Danbury, Vice President of the Society of the Hawley Family and one of this year’s reunion hosts. “As the country commemorates 250 years of American history, it feels especially meaningful to bring our family back to Connecticut and explore the communities, institutions, and stories that connect us to generations who came before us.”

The four-day program will combine family fellowship with visits to some of Connecticut’s best-known historical and cultural institutions.

On Friday, attendees will travel to Hartford for a “Tale of Two Capitols” program featuring a visit to the Connecticut State Capitol before returning to New Haven for a special program at the Yale Peabody Museum, including a look at the Dr. Bronson Hawley Oology Collection.

Saturday’s activities will focus on New Haven, including a tour of Yale, a visit to the New Haven Museum, time to explore downtown New Haven, and an evening dinner program featuring broadcaster Mike Allen followed by Hawley family trivia.

The reunion will conclude Sunday with the Society’s annual meeting, followed by an optional visit to Stratford, where Joseph Hawley is buried, connecting present-day descendants with one of the family’s earliest roots in colonial Connecticut.

The weekend will also showcase Connecticut traditions and hospitality, from New Haven’s famous apizza to the historic neighborhoods, museums, and landmarks that have helped shape the state’s identity.

For Hawley, who first became involved with the Society after attending its 2023 gathering in Newtown, bringing the reunion back to Connecticut carries particular significance.

“Family history becomes much more meaningful when you can stand in the places where that history actually happened,” Hawley said. “We want people to leave this weekend with new friendships, new stories, and a deeper appreciation for the remarkable connection the Hawley family has to Connecticut.”

The Society welcomes Hawley descendants, relatives, genealogists, historians, and others interested in the family’s history.

Event: Society of the Hawley Family 93rd Annual Reunion
Dates: October 8–11, 2026
Location: New Haven and surrounding Connecticut communities
Theme: Reconnecting with Our Roots: Hawleys at America’s 250

Registration Info: hawleysociety.org/2026-reunion/

Media Contact

Ryan Hawley
Vice President, Society of the Hawley Family, Inc.
ryanhawley27@gmail.com

About the Society of the Hawley Family

The Society of the Hawley Family, Inc. is a genealogical and historical organization dedicated to preserving, researching, and sharing the history of Hawley families and strengthening connections among Hawley descendants. Through reunions, publications, archival preservation, genealogical research, and educational programming, the Society works to ensure that the family’s history is preserved for future generations.