Many upcoming events for genealogists will be virtual. While virtual events do not allow us to interact with other people in the same way as an in-person event, they do cut out the need for travel and hotel, which reduces the cost of attending. This reduction in cost may mean that you will be able to attend a genealogy event virtually that you would never attend in person. Here are two upcoming virtual genealogy events that are FREE.
- Indiana State Library’s Genealogy & Local History Fair—This year’s fair is on Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The theme is “The Women in Your Family Tree.” The speakers, Gena Philbert-Ortega and Katherine Willson, will examine techniques for researching women as well as discuss women’s suffrage and other 19th-century social movements. In the morning, Katherine will give a presentation entitled “Social Reform Movements of the 19th Century,” in which she will discuss the beginnings of the women’s suffrage movement and other social reforms such as free public education, prison reform, and temperance. She will also cover where records pertaining to these movements can be located. Katherine will hold a Q & A session in the morning as well. In the afternoon, Gena will give “25 Tips for Researching Your Female Ancestors.” In her second session, “Fabric, Cigars, and Murder,” she will share her research about a community of Hoosier women who constructed a quilt top in the 1930s, which Gena discovered in California many years later. To register for the Genealogy & Local History Fair, go to the calendar on the Indiana State Library’s website.
- FamilySearch’s RootsTech conference—Not only will you not have to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah for RootsTech in 2021, you also will not have to pay for it. RootsTech is an annual conference dedicated to celebrating family and helping attendees discover their family history. RootsTech Connect will be February 25-27, 2021. The website boasts “dozens of inspirational learning sessions, uplifting messages from celebrity keynote speakers, and hands-on activities to help you celebrate your heritage all year long.” In addition to genealogical classes, the conference will include international cooking demonstrations, mind-break exercises such as yoga, and sessions on world travel. There will also be a virtual marketplace and the opportunity to interact with other attendees using social media. To learn more or to register, go to the RootsTech website.
Now is the time to learn more about family history research from the comfort of your own home.
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