Take in Genoa during Candy Dance weekend

It's Candy Dance time again. By 10 a.m. Saturday, the main streets in Genoa will be filled with seas of people. If you have never been, get up early and go. This is the best party in the state and the best craft show on earth. Put on comfy shoes and enjoy.

While you are there, stop at all the local landmarks. Visit the oldest thirst parlor and Mormon Station State Historic Park. You might even walk up to the historic cemetery. But whatever you do, do not miss the Genoa Court House Museum. Visit the courtroom, the blacksmith shop, the Victorian parlor and the Washo basket exhibit. It is an exciting look back at early Genoa history.

Don't forget about our final swap meet at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center on Saturday morning. If you are a crafter who is not showing your wares at Candy Dance, call 782-2555 and arrange a display at this final swap meet of the season.

The September photo contest ends 4 p.m. Sept. 30. We already have some great entries, but still need more. Snap that perfect shot of September in Douglas County and e-mail it in or bring it to the Gardnerville museum. We can't wait to see your photo.

October means Student-Senior Day on Oct. 4 when we present A Day in the Museum loosely based on the movie, "A Night in the Museum." We will have living history characters in some of the exhibits such as Dr. Eliza Cook, a telephone operator and a store clerk. These exhibits will come alive at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. Admission for students and seniors is free.

The Douglas County Historical Society's lecture series on Oct. 9 will feature a panel discussion of the various haunted sights around town. Ghosts have been thought to inhabit the old Gardnerville hospital, the CVIC Hall in Minden and other locations. Of course, this discussion points us to the actual Ghost Walk in October.

This year's Ghost Walk will present historical characters at several locations. Learn a bit about the people and history of the old Gardnerville Hospital, the CVIC Hall, Trinity Lutheran Church, the old Douglas High School building and a Minden home.

Haunted Weekend is Oct. 24, 25 and 26. Friday is the Haunted Gardnerville Ghost Walk with tours available from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday is the Haunted Garden Cemetery Tour with guided tours every 15 minutes between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday is the Haunted Genoa Ghost Walk with tours at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Call 782-2555 or 782-2893 for ticket prices and information.

For any questions about anything mentioned here, please call the Douglas County Historical Society at the Carson Valley Museum in Gardnerville at 782-2555. Visit our Web site at www.historicnevada.org. Remember, DCHS and its two museums, the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville and the Genoa Court House Museum, do not receive any regular state or county funding. It's up to our members and friends to help us keep our doors open.

n Contact Ellen Caywood at in2my2cats@yahoo.com or at 790-1565.