The Williamsburg Area Genealogy Society will host its first-ever conference in September.

The Williamsburg Area Genealogy Society will host its first genealogy conference, “Discovering Your Ancestry Can Be Revolutionary,” Sept. 20 at the Reserve at Williamsburg Clubhouse.

After becoming a nonprofit this past spring, the WAGS team decided that the community was ready for a genealogy conference.

“Our theme is Discovering Your Ancestors Can be Revolutionary.  As we are into the America 250! celebration, and there is perhaps greater interest in finding your ancestors, we thought this might be a great time to share resources, to learn about what work is being done in this community, to share ideas and help others with their own journey of finding their ancestors,” Debbie Misiag, president of WAGS, shared.

Multiple sessions are planned for the conference. William & Mary will present a panel discussion about the school’s research into The Bray School. There will also be a presentation on updates to Ancestry.com, a beginner class, a discussion on planning research trips and more.

The WAGS team has also booked a keynote speaker. Stuart Butler, a retired archivist from the National Archives, will discuss resources that the D.C.-based archives have available.

“We are excited to share our organization with the greater community of Williamsburg.  We have members just starting their genealogy journey, and some that have been doing research for 20 or more years. What we do have is fun, interesting and caring members that support each other on their journeys to find their ancestors and to break down ‘brick walls.’ We love to celebrate a member who has found something they have been looking for for quite a while. It makes us all happy. I am proud to be a part of this group as we share our ideas, research strategies, new resources and knowledge with each other. We all have grown in our skills and our friendships,” Misiag shared.

The event will also feature vendors and lunch is included with the $60 registration fee.

Registration for the conference is open to the public and is ongoing until all 70 spots are filled or Sept. 1. For more information, visit wagsva.org/2025-wags-conference.