I would suggest posting over on the Cooking Forum, lots of traffic there and very helpful people.

Now to actually address the question: It all depends on how well your family organizes! Will they all bring cole slaw? I would be tempted to assign family members a type of side, like a salad, starch or dessert. That leaves less 'chance' of duplication. Of course, you know your family better, they might have specialty dishes that cover the different food groups and would never duplicate.

The other areas to consider are cooking and clean up. Do you have an easy and quick way to cook the fish? Who will be in charge of the clean up?

I'm positive that the family getting together will be a HUGE spirit raiser for your mom.

Best of luck with the planning

Susan

Hi,
we have had several family fishfrys. We usually have anywhere from 75-100 or more there. We do the fish and I make the bakedbeans. Mom used to make creekbank pots. We had 2 5gal buckets, one with tea and one with lemoade. But now we just tell people to bring drinks(2 liters) and we have one of those big coffee pots also. That's usually a must. But we hold ours in and air cond. building. One yr. we had kareoke(sp). I buy the paper plates( the 4 section ones from the $$ store)and the forks,spoons and cups and napkins. I ask the other people who are coming to either bring a veg. or desert. I also get bread and tartar sauce(but you could ask someone to bring these things). We usually have ours in oct. So one yr. i had gourds and made little fall votives for the tables. Alot of the guest took home the decorations. When we dececide to have one i start getting things early. You can get most things at the $$ store. I also got fall plastic table clothes at a party place or wal-mart. I hope this helps. I hope your mom really enjoys the day....

Thanks so much for your ideas and kind thoughts for my Mom. Unfortunatly, I think the fish-fry is out. My mom is having such a hard time with this back surgery! She is a diabetic and the healing is going so slow. I think we will have to put the fish-fry on the backburner for now. I am going to keep your ideas in mind though because we will be having one at some point...I hope!

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. But i'm sure when ever you can have one she will be excited to be with family and friends. My dad was diabetic also among other things. But he sure loved gettogethers....God Bless