North Idaho fun-seekers, it's show time

Today begins your fairwell to summer.

The North Idaho State Fair opens at 10 a.m. and continues through Sunday, providing a last breathtaking gasp of vacation-like fun as the school year and shorter days creep close,

The fair is an especially bright spot in a yearlong local calendar full of them. Still relishing the fabulous Art on the Green/Taste of Coeur d’Alene/Street Fair at the beginning of the month, August will ebb on a high note.

An email blast from the fair folks offered this enticing pitch: 10 Free Things To See At The Fair. That is, of course, after the $10 standard gate admission for adults. But when you consider that you’d be paying a buck apiece for those 10 things, it’s a great deal — and there are far more cool things to see and do that won’t necessarily cost you more money.

Here’s your Top 10:

1. Flyin’ Fools High Dive: Big guys leap from on high into what looks like a pretty small pool. Watch? Heck yes! Do? No thanks!

2. Xpogo Stunt Team: That means “extreme” pogo sticks. The things look like they’re powered by dilithium crystals.

3. Uncle Curly’s Funtastic Kid Zone: Loads of grins for the wee laddies and lassies — especially when Mom/Dad/Granny/Grampa need to take a break.

4. Racing Pigs: These pigs fly! You’ll squeal with laughter at the amazingly mobile pork.

5. Dance Floor: Performers could include your kids who just feel like dancing to all kinds of music.

6. Music on the Midway: You can dance there, too.

7. Petting Zoo: Small children. Cuddly critters. Cute squared.

8. Magician & Hypnotist: Anybody remember Press climatologist Cliff Harris being hypnotized a few years back? We’re still laughing.

9. All Aboard Train Rides: Get you from Point A to B, Point F to N — well, you can go here to there without breaking a sweat if you want to.

10. Farm Friends: What a fair really is supposed to be all about, right? That and cotton candy. And rides. And elephant ears. And we’ll see you there.