A quiet mountain town all but two days of the year, Genoa hosted thousands who came for the Candy Dance this weekend.
The candy alone takes months of preparation.
“We come together in July and we start making candy, and this is the biggest event for the Town of Genoa,” says Marca Johnson, who co-manages the town’s candy sales.
Lillian Virgin Finnegan brought life to the dance back in 1919, a feat that earned her a statue on Genoa Lane. The town needed streetlights, and money to pay for them. Finnegan put together a dance with candy for couples as a fundraiser.
The Genoa Candy Dance continues to serve that role over 100 years later. It remains a major fundraiser for the Town of Genoa, accounting for over two thirds of the annual budget.
The event continues to attract both returning visitors, and those who stopped by after decades of living nearby.
"My family's addicted to coming here all the time, and I finally decided to make the trip,” says Marlon Bergeron, from Gardnerville.
Bergeron is diabetic, so while the candy is out of the question, he says he enjoys seeing the handmade items and familiar faces from his 20 years in Douglas County.
Sydney Hannon has called genoa home for 46 years and tells us she helped make the town's toffee once upon a time. She says the best part of the dance is seeing the local representation.
“I just love being with people that, you know, live here, and love Nevada,” she says.
Hannon brought her friend and new genoa neighbor, Michelle Morgan, to try the sweets the town is known for.
“I had the divinity,” Morgan says. “I was expecting more of like a light meringue, but it was a little bit heavier. But it's still delicious."
The cloud-like confectionery, as well as the English toffee, are some of the most popular treats at the dance.
Johnson says divinity sold out so quickly last year they increased the batch for 2026.
“We have snowballs, which are peanut butter, and white chocolate and graham cracker,” she says. “We have so much stuff. We have what’s called Genoa rocks. That's chocolate with, nuts and enrolled in, cocoa powder."
There's no shortage of delicious options at the Genoa Candy Dance year in and year out.
