It's a Birthday Bash — And I'll be There!

Today is the start of the Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree 2019. Since this genealogy Jamboree has been happening like clockwork every year since 1969, that makes this year's event Jamboree's golden anniversary.

There's a lot to celebrate in this fiftieth birthday bash in Burbank, California. For starters, this is not just one conference, but a double-header, with the one-day Genetic Genealogy conference held today, followed by the three-day Jamboree, beginning tomorrow and going through the weekend.

The list of participating speakers is, as always, stellar—including widely respected names from across the United States and Canada. If you can't tell already, I always eagerly await Jamboree; it's one of the highlights of my genealogical year.

While Jamboree is conveniently situated a mere six hour drive from my home—unlike most of the other tempting genealogical gatherings—I realize that may not be the case for others. However, the good news is that many of the Jamboree sessions from both conferences are live-streamed for those who want to watch from home. The Genetic Genealogy conference sessions may be accessed by registering for the entire day ($99) or by registering for any of the five live-streamed sessions at $20 each. For the main Jamboree event, thanks to the generous underwriting of Ancestry.com, all twelve available sessions may be viewed for free, by registering here. And, for those watching in person at the Burbank event and those watching from the comfort of their own home, the glue that keeps us all connected is the social media hashtags bookmarking attendee commentary as the weekend rolls along.

Whether I see you face to face at Jamboree's Fiftieth birthday bash, or via the back channels on social media, I hope you will find a way to be part of the celebration.