A fair amount of entertainment

COEUR d'ALENE - The crowd hushed as Lady Houdini struggled with the chains that bound her inside the locked, 140-gallon Water Torture Cell.

Aside from the merry sounds of the midway and a few concerned whispers, everyone quietly watched in amazement as she picked at the cuffs that encircled her ankles and wrists and worked to release herself from her restraints. After about two and a half minutes, the Lady Houdini (escapologist Kristen Johnson) emerged from the tank, dripping wet and smiling as she received applause for her successful stunt.

"I thought I was going to die of the suspense," said Cole Cooper, 10, of Post Falls. Cole was wide-eyed after the noon performance Friday, an escape artist demonstration he said left him "amazed."

"I thought she wasn't going to get out of the water," said Cole's little sister Cora, 5. The siblings were accompanied by their mom and a cousin as they watched the compelling Lady Houdini spectacle, one of the many entertaining acts that can be seen at this year's North Idaho Fair and Rodeo.

Friday's lineup included Lady Houdini, the Traveling Keys "Dueling Piano Show," the action-packed, stunt-filled Tumbleweed Crossing Wild West Comedy Shoot-Out, a grounds-wide parade, the mysterious hypnotist Richard Barker and an up-close and personal act with Wildlife Wendy and her talking, singing, trick-performing tropical birds.

One entertainment highlight that continues through Sunday is "America's Got Talent" and former Cirque Du Soleil performer Loop Rawlins of Tucson, Ariz. In his black cowboy hat, he wows audiences with trick roping, lasso and whip stunts, flashy gun spinning and a good blend of humor and showmanship during his "One Man Wild West Show."

"Now, let's get into some high-flying juggling," he said as he opened his set with fancy footwork and lasso skills. He demonstrated his slick moves as up-tempo banjo music twanged in the background. During the "Grasshopper" trick he jumped in and out of the spinning lasso, and for "Sleeping on the Job" he lay down on the stage and placed his hat on his face, spinning the lasso the whole time.

"With trick roping, it's all in the wrist," Rawlins said. He invited young volunteers onto the stage to assist him with tricks and gave out two pieces of a playing card after he split it in half with the crack of his bullwhip.

"It was kind of funny, it had a little bit of comedy in it," said Cooper Ross, 10, of Athol. Cooper had seen Rawlins on "America's Got Talent" before he saw him live at the fair.

"It was good," said Kyle Taylor, 7, of Dalton Gardens. "I like the one when he had the biggest rope you'd ever seen."

Rawlins said he wants the kids to smile and have fun, but he wants them to feel involved and be amazed.

"I saw trick roping when I was 8 at a rodeo and I said, 'That's really neat, I want to do that,'" he said after the performance. "I think that's how a lot of kids get into things, they see something and they go, 'Woah.'"

The free entertainment at the fair begins again today at 11 a.m. with Rawlins on the Main Stage, Kenn Serrano performing comedy on the North Stage, Coeurimba African Marimba on the Community Stage and Northern Dance Academy's performance/meet and greet on the Midway Dance Floor at 11:30. An abundance of entertainment will be happening throughout the day with the final acts at 9 p.m. and more happening Sunday beginning with the Play with Gravity Motorcycle Stunt Show at North Midway at 10:30 a.m. Some shows occur multiple times.

Info: www.northidahofair.com/fair-rodeo/schedule-of-events.