Eastern North Carolina Family History Fair

The 2nd Annual Eastern North Carolina Family History Fair will be held at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, 203 South Front Street in New Bern, North Carolina on Saturday, June 4th, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The fair provides an opportunity to view family history photo boards, to learn about area family histories, and to connect with family and friends. There will be exhibits by area libraries, genealogical and historical societies, and cultural groups. The exhibit hall is open and free to the public all day. Everyone is welcome!

Also, a full day of free, fun and educational kids’ history activities will be presented in partnership with Tryon Palace. Kids can learn how to make a corn shuck doll, color their family tree, design and color a bear town bear, make a time capsule, enjoy story time with Elinor Hawkins, make butter the old fashioned way, dig into the past for artifacts, make a German style paper cutting with Jennifer Ipock Nance, learn about and dress up in colonial clothes, explore John Lawson’s trunk, and see how images were made with scissors before cameras with a silhouette demonstration by Kathie Bogue. The kids’ history activities are free and open to the public all day.

For adults and teens, several optional family history research class choices will be offered on topics such as beginning genealogy with Barbara O. Kerr of the Pamlico Historical Association, online genealogy with Robert Gregory and Victor Horrell of the Craven County Genealogical Society, researching your Civil War ancestor with Victor T. Jones, Jr. of the New Bern-Craven County Public Library, tracing your Revolutionary War ancestor with Carolyn C. McCulley and Lou T. Walker of the Richard Dobbs Spaight DAR, finding records in burned counties with Roger Kammerer of the Pitt County Family Researchers, cemetery research with Kay B. Ogle and Laura L. Spence of the Heritage Genealogical Society of Greene, Jones, and Lenoir Counties, hear how DNA testing can assist your genealogy research with Anne Poole of the Lost Colony Research Group project, and learn about North Carolina land grants (1663-1960) with Dr. A. B. Pruitt of Whitakers, NC. Early registration for the classes is $25, by May 31st, $35 after.

There will also be fabulous door prizes and special offers from Ancestry.com, Footnote.com, FamilyTreemaker.com, FamilyTreeDNA.com, and others! A tea cup auction full of wonderful items to benefit the Heritage Park and Scholarship projects will also be held.

For more information about the event or to be an exhibitor, visit the society’s website at http://www.encfamilies.org/ or by email at info@encfamilies.org or by telephone 252-349-0405. The event is hosted by The Family History Society of Eastern North Carolina and area family history organizations.

Submitted by: David French, Director, The Family History Society of Eastern North Carolina