The City Archives and Special Collections will present the second-annual GenFest on April 5 at Dillard University’s Professional School and Sciences Building (24 East Rd.). With GenFest, the City Archives brings together southeastern Louisiana genealogical, preservation, historical and cultural organizations to share their missions and stories with festival attendees and each other.
The event will feature exhibits from regional genealogical, historical, cultural and preservation organizations; informational programs from local experts; and a diverse panel about this year’s GenFest theme, creating community and history with one another. Christina Bryant, director of the City Archives & Special Collections, said the theme is especially relevant to New Orleans, where a person’s community is more than just their nuclear family.
“Our identities and communities are also made up of where we lived, went to school, our neighborhoods, extended family and much more,” said Bryant. “We are very excited that we have been able to expand this year’s GenFest to provide more amazing community partners to interact with our attendees. I hope the day encourages people to connect with each other, learn more about their history and celebrate community.”
A new Housing Authority of New Orleans digital photograph collection featuring over 300 images from the 1940s-1970s will also be unveiled at GenFest. To accompany the new collection, Leonard Smith III will give the keynote presentation called “A Place Called Desire: HANO Records and Legacy.”
GenFest will feature three additional presentations, “Discovering Josephine” presented by Gaynell Brady, “Uncovering the Past: Plantation History, Enslaved Narratives and Descendant Research” presented by Ja’el “YaYa” Gordon, and How Cemetery Destructions Affected Louisiana Law,” presented by Ryan Seidemann
GenFest 2025 is sponsored by the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and LA Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service. Friends of the New Orleans Public Library Executive Director Shannan Cvitanovic said last year’s program was a “wonderful success,” and they are thrilled to watch it grow.
“Last year we expected 250 attendees and welcomed over twice as many,” said Cvitanovic. “It shows how many people are interested in local history and how that history connects to their families’ stories. We cannot wait to welcome even more people this year. My hope is that this becomes an annual event welcoming people from all over Southern Louisiana.”
For details and up-to-date information, visit nolalibrary.co/GenFest2024.