Tag: candydance

The Genoa Candy Dance is taking place this weekend, and instead of slow attendance due to a lagging economy, like they were expecting, instead they're having one of their best years ever.

Now when thousands of people descend on a town as small as Genoa, there are sure to be logjams all over the valley as people try to get their cars and their bodies into what is a very tiny town. Genoa Lane is the approved route to enter the town, but this weekend that intersection is heavily controlled, as you can see above. Hwy 395 southbound is down to one lane, and left turns from northbound 395 are prohibited.

But the hassle getting into town is nothing compared to the late afternoon, when everyone decides to leave and go home all at once. Traffic last night was backed up from the Clear Creek light way back up to Jacks Valley and beyond. My suggestion would be to stay away from Hwy 395 this evening if you can.

The annual Genoa Candy Dance is coming up in just a few weeks. The Candy Dance is a celebration that Genoa puts on every year featuring arts and crafts booths, a Saturday night dinner-dance, and of course lots and lots of homemade candy. This year the festivities are happening on September 27 and 28, from 9 to 5. The faire takes over just about the entire town, and all roads leading into and out of town are blocked off. You can park in town, for $5, but you need to get there early because the few parking lots they have fill up fast. You can also park at Douglas High School or the Carson Valley Inn and ride a $2 shuttle into town.

The Candy Dance started in 1919 as a fundraiser to buy electric streetlights for the town of Genoa, and it continued each year as a way to continue paying the electric bill. Still today a large part of the proceeds from the faire go into the town's general fund, and make up a significant part of their annual budget. But the turnout this year is expected to be lower than normal, due to the slumping economy and high gas prices. As such, the volunteers are only making 4,000 pounds of candy this year, down from the usual 4,500. Some of the types of candy available will be fudge, soft center mints, English toffee, dragon eye mints, haystacks, peanut brittle, and cappuccino cups.