50th Anniversary ideas?

[spectator]

My parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this summer. They met through 4-H dairy projects, raised four kids and are still best friends. Dad can't get around much anymore but Mom still milks at a nearby dairy five mornings a week (they love her, tell me "She treats our cows like she owns them herself!") and keeps a handful of Simmentals behind the house. Not much money to spend among the kids right now, but would like to do something special. Not sure he'd be up for a potluck or large gathering, and many of us are no longer living in the state. I'm thinking about doing a photo slideshow on DVD and asking family and friends to participate in a card shower, they'd love to hear from all the cousins and so forth.
Any other celebration suggestions? I thought the farm/livestock forums would be a good resource for ideas. Thank you!

 

[sue]

Anything you do they will appreciate large or small event. My parents sound like yours - goofy crazy in love to this day.

I think you should go back to the fair grounds they met and showed projects at as youngsters. Make it a pot luck  and roast a hog event everyone.

 

[andy]

We held a 45th anniversary for my parents 2 years ago because we were sure that my mom who has severe health issues wouldn't be able to enjoy a 50th.  My dad isn't much for formality or ceremony.  We organized a pig roast/threshing party on the farm.  We dug out dad's old threshing machine which hadn't run for 30+ years, got a family friend who collects antique farm machinery to bring over his hay press and threshed a load of wheat sheaves.  All ages were into it.  We rented a large tent and after supper had an amateur concert.  We requested that people not bring gifts, but a salad or a dessert.  I have never seen so much food anywhere.  The farm shop was cleaned out to serve the food from.  We had about 500 guests but probably fed around 400 as some people had other functions to attend the same day.

When it was all said and done, we spent under $9.00/dining guest for everything including things like portable washrooms, extra insurance,etc.  Expenses were split evenly amoung the 4 kids in my family.  Now, as my mom prepares to go to a nursing home, it sure seems like a trivial amount of money versus the memories that my parents have.