I attended the annual Family History Fair in New York City last year and had a great time. It was a high-energy affair: crowded and with something going on almost all the time. Today I received the announcement for this year's edition:
Family History Fair to be Held October 16
During 17th Annual New York Archives Week
New York's annual Family History Fair will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2005 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue (at 34th Street), Manhattan. At this free event, the public will learn how to trace their family histories, preserve and interpret family documents, utilize archives and libraries in and around New York, and employ computers as tools for family history and genealogical research. Subway: 6 to 33rd Street; 34th Street on other lines. Information: 212-415-5547.
The Family History Fair will feature more than forty genealogical societies, historical agencies, archival repositories, ethnic organizations, booksellers and other vendors offering exhibits and information for the family history buff. Free workshops on a variety of topics, as well as computer software demonstrations, will be held throughout the afternoon.
The keynote lecture, "Castle Garden Records: 19th-century New York City Immigration History," will be presented by Marian L. Smith, Historian, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, History Office and Library.
Featured again this year is the Ancestors Road Show, hosted and coordinated by the NYC Metro Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Free, one-on-one sessions with professional genealogists will be offered to attendees who bring in a specific genealogical problem on which they need assistance.
The list of exhibitors and schedule of workshops will be available at the website http://www.nycarchivists.org/fhf.html. The Fair is the highlight of the 17th annual New York Archives Week, a city-wide celebration of New York's diverse history being held October 9-16, 2005. The Fair is co-sponsored by the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. and Continuing Education & Public Programs, The Graduate Center, CUNY. New York Archives Week is sponsored by the Archivists Round Table and is made possible in part through the generous support of MetLife Foundation, The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation, and other donors assisting with the Family History Fair.
