The statue of Candy Dance co-founder Lillian Virgin Finnegan adorned in Fourth of July sash on July 4 in Genoa, Nevada's oldest town.
While it might be 102 years since the first Genoa Candy Dance, it will be closer to the hundredth celebration to raise money for Nevada’s oldest town.
Genoa Town Board members took far less than the allotted five minutes to decide to go forward with the annual fundraiser on Wednesday night.
The cancellation of last year’s even cost the town 60-65 percent of its revenue, or around $180,000. The Candy Dance Craft Fair attracts 30,000 people to the town. It's scheduled for Sept. 25-26.
Started as a dinner and dance to raise money for streetlights in the town where the sun goes down around 4 p.m. during the winter, it continued to keep the lights on for decades.
While legend has it the dance was started in 1919, the first mention of it in The Record-Courier under its current name was Oct. 24, 1924.
“The name of the dance is derived from the fact that the ladies of Genoa are to make a liberal supply of homemade candy which will be distributed to the dancers,” Editor Bert Selkirk said of the Nov. 22 affair. “A number of liberal size boxes of the same product will be given away as prizes. A delicious supper is to be served at midnight, which is to be one of the big drawing cards of the coming dance.”
Besides last year’s coronavirus outbreak, the event has only been canceled once — in 1932 when the state closed the banks during the Great Depression.
Candymakers should begin their work more than a ton of confections.
Thanks to redevelopment work, they will have a new kitchen to cook up the treats.
While selling candy raises some money for the town, it’s rentals from the craft fair that produces the lion’s share of the revenue.
Booth fees range from $450-$500 for a craft spot. Food vendor booths are $750 and activity booth spaces are $300.
As of Friday, the town is still accepting booth applications for the event.
Started in 1974 to raise money for the town’s recreation fund, the fair has grown to around 320 craft booths.
The town shuts down for two days with crowds of shoppers being transported from parking areas around the town.
Dinner dance tickets will become available in August.
For more information, visit www.genoanevada.org
