86th annual Candy Dance continues today

They arrived by the carload, were shuttled and dropped off in town and continued on foot, by stroller, on Segway stand-up scooters, bicycles and wheelchairs.

With perfect shopping weather, up to 40,000 people were expected to attend this weekend's 86th annual Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire in Genoa.

The craft fair opened at 9 a.m. Saturday and within an hour the streets and parks of the town were full of people ready to shop, eat and have a good time. The fair continues through 5 p.m. today.

Most shoppers seemed to be repeat customers and were equipped with comfortable shoes and any device to help them transport their purchases for the miles needed to take in the more than 350 booths of crafts and food vendors. They knew to pull or push their treasures in wheeled carriers, wagons and shopping carts.

There were long lines for the mini donuts and rest rooms, but the longest lines were in front of the Genoa town hall to buy candy.

The town hall was filled with stacked boxes of packaged candy and workers were busy keeping the ladies in the candy booth supplied.

The Candy Dance's namesake is still the reason why many people come to the event. Peanut brittle, almond bark, turtles, rocky road, haystacks, truffles and brown, white, pin, and green fudge are sold in prices ranging from $1 to 12 per bag.

Evan Humphrey, 12, from Carson City bought a bag of dragon eyes.

"My friend's grandma made it," Evan said. "It's a mint flavor and gooey inside. It's not going to make it home - I'm going to eat it."

"I'm the grandmother he was talking about," said Marian Vassar, veteran of many Candy Dance candy sales.

Vassar said it took about 70 volunteers just to make almost 5,000 pounds candy.

"The way it's going this morning, I'd say we'll sell out - maybe this afternoon," she said.

"It gets easier to handle the whole situation every year," Vassar said. "It works so much better with the candy information booth and T-shirt sales all in a row."

Food vendors sold lemonade, taquitos, Navajo tacos, nachos, caramel corn, roasted corn, kettle corn, corn dogs, hot dogs, burgers, sausages, chocolate-dipped bananas, onion rings, fries, fried chicken, beef brisket, Thai-Chinese barbecue, ribs, pork, homemade root beer, funnel cakes, donuts and nuts.

Items sold included rare gems, quilts, wooden toys, light switch plates, plants, baskets, leather, soap, cute and cuddly stuffed iguanas and snakes and what would be a craft fair without tie dye?

Booth signs advertised Fruit Friz Smoothies, Ring Around the Toezees, Shirley's Soap Garden, Stitchin' Horse Ranch and Suitcase Ron's Kettle Korn.

Suitcase Ron Buder is from Sacramento and has peddled popcorn at the Minden Street Fair and Candy Dance in the past.

"I got my picture in the paper during the 1996 Candy Dance," Buder said. "This one's going to be a killer weekend because of the weather."

Buder said he hired his "bag ladies," the young women who bag the popcorn he cooks, from Douglas High School.

"Thanks to DHS for providing us for help," he said. "I called up the career counselor and sure enough they sent someone."

Carson City resident Dale Lyon said she's come to every Candy Dance for 10 years. She'd succeeded in her plan to find the vendor who sold the baskets she admired last year and had it in a wheeled cart along with metal sculptures.

"I found the lady from West Africa who sold baskets and the (African thumb pianos made from gourds) and I have some metal fish - I like yard art - for my dry creek in the front yard," Lyon said.

She wasn't done filling her cart but one thing she wasn't going to be buying was candy.

"I'm on a diet, so I don't eat the candy," she said.

Pete Pierini, father of Sheriff Ron Pierini, sat on a bench inside the Mormon Fort. He said he had been waiting for a couple of hours while his wife Ruth shopped.

"We come every year - we haven't missed any," Pierini said. "I enjoy sitting here watching people. Everyone seems to be happy doing their thing. I notice people buying more this year."

The most noticeable items purchased at the fair also seemed to be the hardest ones to carry, like the metal sculptures and floral arrangements.

Timberland Stained Glass vendor Rick Blair said he holds on to his customers purchases while they continue to shop. The last time he'd been in Genoa's Candy Dance fair was 10 years ago.

"They were already full when they opened this morning," said Blair. "This might be too big. It used to be real manageable."

Blair said the weather was cooperating and business was going very well.

"My wife and I build all this and cut the patterns ourselves. This is how we make a living - raised a couple of kids on it."

Overhead at the Genoa Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire:

"We'll get you some candy, just wait."

"I'll tell you something, by 2 o'clock you won't be able to move."

"A lot of gourds this year."

Mother with daughter in front of K-9 Kool Hats, "What do you think?"

"I don't think so," the father said as his wife and daughter continue to look for their pooch's correct size hat.

Music in front of the museum: "Jackson" a la Johnny and June. "Walking the Floor Over You." "Goodhearted Woman."

"Now where's the ATM?"

"I hope our bikes don't get stolen."

"Beautiful baskets - use them forever."

"Kirsten, you're cutting out."

"The more wine you drink, the better this looks."