Candy Dance returns to Genoa for 102nd year

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - The Candy Dance is returning to Genoa for the 102nd year. It comes following last year’s cancellation because of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The event is big for the Genoa. The town is one of two in the entire country that gets more than 50% of it’s budget from an event. It started back in 1919, when Lillian Finnegan came up with the idea to hold a dance and midnight dinner to raise funds for streetlights.

The event was successful and streetlights were installed in Genoa, but then the town needed to pay for electricity. The event has been held ever since.

The cancellation of last year’s event hurt the town, but many are looking forward to having the Candy Dance back this year.

“We’re super excited to be back after having to cancel 2020 due to COVID,” said Matt Bruback, Town Manager of Genoa. “The current restrictions only mandate masks indoors. So our candy sales, all of our guests will have to have masks, but we’re just super excited that the event is back and our vendors are excited.

That excitement has the town preparing for even more people than usual.

“With us normal year we bring in about 30 or 40,000 people over two days,” said Bruback. “So I’m thinking this year it could be 20 to 25,000 a day. We’re always super packed. It’s just in here in a sea of people, 340 plus vendors. It’s a wonderful, fun time and we’re excited to be here.”

The Candy Dance kicks off on Saturday, September 24 at 9 a.m. and runs through the 25th. You can find more information here.