Visitors packed Genoa around lunchtime for the 2021 Candy Dance.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
It seemed all 30,000 people expected over the weekend turned up in Genoa in time for lunch on Saturday.
Walkers were wall to wall through the tiny town as the annual arts and crafts fair made its return after the coronavirus.
Traffic was at a stand-still on Genoa Lane and Jacks Valley Road on the way into town on Saturday morning.
The Genoa Cemetery parking lot filled up early and visitors started parking along Jacks Valley Road to make the more than a mile hike into town.
The parking lot on Ranch No. 1 below Genoa came very close to filling up on Saturday with those visitors who had the patience to wait.
Throngs of people lined up at the automatic tellers after the town lost Wi Fi. There was a short line out in front of the Town Hall where they were selling candy. By lunch time the divinity with pecans was gone. shoppers had to pay cash because the credit card machines weren’t working.
The Genoa Volunteer Fire Department was selling beer and their famous Italian sausage sandwiches with grilled peppers and onions.
The fair closed at 5 p.m. today with the annual dinner dance kicking off right around then. The craft fair reopens 9 a.m. Sunday for a second day of shopping. Sunday visitors who’d like to purchase candy should do so early, since it tends to sell out.
The Masons are serving breakfast until 10 a.m. for $8. Parking is $10 or a long walk. Shuttles are available at the parking lots to take people into the fair.
Organizers are asking visitors to leave their dogs at home.
A giant orange gumball of a sun brought the dawn to Carson Valley as Genoa prepares to open for Candy Dance 9 a.m. today.
Visitors are already beginning to park at the Genoa Cemetery after all three entrances to the town are now shut down.
The forecast for Nevada's oldest town is sunny but hazy with a high of 84 degrees.
Motorists along Highway 395 should expect congestion at Genoa Lane where southbound has been reduced to one lane to allow visitors to turn right to attend the annual craft fair.
Candy Dance is making its return after being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Handwashing stations are available throughout the town.
While there is some debate, this year’s may be the actual 100th Candy Dance since the event was founded in 1919 to purchase streetlights for the town.
For most the first 55 years its history, the event was literally a dance where candy was served. The craft fair was added 47 years ago in 1974 to help fund the town recreation fund.
That handful of booths in Mormon Station State Historic Park grew to more than 300 for the event that closes the town to vehicle traffic for the last weekend in September.
In addition to the crafters, several nonprofits benefit from the event, including the Genoa Volunteer Fire Department, which sells beer and Italian sausage sandwiches and the Masons who serve breakfast both days.
Parking is available along Foothill Road, Genoa Lane and Jacks Valley Road for $10, which goes to support charitable causes in the county.
