Rain clouds parted over the second-annual Dayton Oodles of Noodles Cook off Saturday and winds shook budding trees while folks forked noodles into their mouths.
Noting the weather and the Virginia City Cook off as reasons attendance might be down, Carl Swain of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce said he was happy with a turnout four times that of last year.
"We're thrilled to death," he said.
More than 400 people bought $5 "tasting tickets" at the event, a fund-raiser for the Dayton chamber. That got them a bag of plastic sampling cups which they used at 14 different noodle competition booths. While they milled along Logan Way and Pike Street in old town Dayton they could browse among more than 80 vendors.
Blues musician Bobby Joel Holman was looking through the 100 items offered in the silent auction at the Dayton Museum.
"I'm so happy for Roxie," he said of Roxie Paine, executive director of the chamber. "Last year it was 10 vendors and this year it's 82 -- now that's a growth factor."
Quentin McColl at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8660 table agreed.
"It's better than last year. It's a bigger crowd, there's a lot more booths and it's more organized this year too."
His fellow post members Armand Arnette, Jim Cieslewicz and Emmett Smith, all of Dayton, were helping him with recruiting and raffle ticket sales. The group, which meets for dinner at the Dayton Senior Center on the fourth Thursday of each month, met two prospective members.
Across the way in wool Civil War duds Victor Genovese, of Fallon, was reenacting a camp scene of the 11th Texas Confederate Cavalry.
"It's a little more exciting when we have our full compliment of equipment," he said, sporting a 1860 Colt 44 revolver on his belt. "We have a full cavalry troop."
Vendor Eva Owsian, of Dayton, was working on one of the rugs she sells with her sister, Mary Anderson of Fallon. Their company is called "ME Did It."
"It stands for Mary and Eva did it," she said. They do crochet, rugs, quilting, beading and tatting.
Dave Colbert, of Stagecoach, and his son Jeffrey, 6, were there to serve "mom's pasta."
A penne pasta with a sour cream sauce, their's was a recipe from Dave's wife, Karie, who had left with the other three kids.
Enjoying the noodles was Donna Hopper who attended elementary school in what is now the Dayton Community Center back in the '60s. She said there were three grades per classroom back then and eight students in her graduating class.
"I just, I love Dayton. That's why I'm still here," she said.
There were two bands playing the pasta party, the Will Rose Roadshow from Silver City and a Dayton three-piece called Phat Tuesday.
Jerry Lee, the bassist for Phat Tuesday, said he was happy they had only had one complaint about the volume. Lead singer Emily Niklas was belting out a mean "Rock 'n' Roll" by Led Zeppelin.
While many of the cooks had run out or stopped serving by 3 p.m., Geoff Geist, special events coordinator for the Nevada Appeal, was still serving up a hot recipe taught to him by his grandmother, Genevieve Barnhart late into the afternoon. He wasn't at liberty to divulge the secret ingredients of the meaty, rich red sauce passed down since his family arrived in the Bay area seven generations ago.
Look for winners to be announced Monday.
ON THE NET
www.daytonnvchamber.org
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The six pasta judges were Lyon County Sheriff Sid Smith, Lyon County Judge Bill Rogers, Dayton High School Principal Terri White, Dayton Fire Department Chief John Gillenwater, Larry Friedman of the Nevada Commission on Tourism and Dave Preston from KKOH.
Pasta chefs competed for a four awards, each of which included several prizes.
The winner of the people's choice award will receive airline tickets for two from Reno to Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines and a three-day, two-night stay at the Excalibur as well as a wine basket from Tahoe Ridge Vineyards and a captain's pass on the M.S. Dixie.
First place will receive airline tickets for two from Reno to Las Vegas on and a three-day, two-night stay at the Circus Circus as well as a pasta basket from Gere Clark in Dayton and a captain's pass on the M.S. Dixie.
Second place will get a one night stay for two at Carson Valley Inn, a glider ride at Soar Minden, dinner for two at Benihana and two VIP passes on a breakfast ride at the Ponderosa Ranch.
Third place will get dinner for two at the Vista Room at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Reno and a sunset dinner dance on the M.S. Dixie.