Genoa prepares for festival

By Kurt Hildebrand

Nevada Appeal News Service

About 200 volunteers are training to work the Genoa Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival April 29 to May 2.

Town Manager Sheryl Gonzales said the volunteers are training as entertainment hosts during the four-day event Genoans hope will become a tradition, and a steady source of revenue for the town.

Gonzales told town board members recently that about 1,800 tickets have been sold to the festival, which consists of 90 events centered on the town, but also in other places through the Valley.

"I'm told this is the time to expect the ticket sales to increase," she said.

The event is being advertised on television and radio around Western Nevada.

About half of the $2,500 heritage packages have been sold so far. The festival's goal is to sell 30 of the V.I.P. packages.

In addition to preparations for the festival, the town is spending $5,500 to improve the entrance to its offices.

A collaboration between the town and the Carson Valley Arts Council, the festival has been in the planning stage for nearly a year. Organizers hope the festival will draw 3,000 people to the event.

In preparation, town board members agreed to the temporary closure of Mill and Nixon streets on April 30 and May 1 to keep those streets clear.

Parking for visitors will be at the Genoa Cemetery and on Foothill Road. Genoa Lane, Jacks Valley Road and Foothill Road will remain open during the festival.

Genoa was looking for an event that would help supplement its annual Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Festival, which accounts for about 80 percent of its annual revenue.

The town expects the festival to raise about $55,000 for next year's budget. In addition to the $260,000 budgeted from Candy Dance, that will account for the lion's share of the town's budget.

Town board members approved a $467,606 tentative budget. Property taxes account for only $26,471 of the budget for 2010-11. The town gets $60,838 from sales, gaming and other taxes.

For information on the festival, go to www.genoacowboy festival.com.

In other news:

n Town board members gave their blessing to a proposal by residents Billie Jean Rightmire and Marian Vassar to create a new Candy Dance cookbook, that includes historical information about the town as well as a listing of historic dishes, such as bear roast in honor of Candy Dance's 90th year.

The women sought $500 for a book, which will be larger than the candy recipe book that has been available at past events.

n The Carson Street drainage project has moved back to the east side of Foothill Road. Town Engineer Tim Russell said the Nevada Department of Transportation is requesting the change. The drainage will be piped to Genoa Creek in the state's right of way.

Russell told town board members that the system would need a sand-oil separator.