Three times the fun

COEUR d’ALENE — Emily Boyd loves the Downtown Coeur d’Alene Street Fair for a lot of reasons, but the executive director of the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association zeros in on this:

“What’s fun about the street fair is there is something for everyone, of every age, in every price range. Everyone in the family can find something."

Now in its 31st year, the street fair is more popular than ever. Vendor spaces sold out about a month ago and many are on a waiting list to get in.

There will be about 200 vendors, some from around the country, offering pretty much whatever you might want or need. Nearly 50 downtown shops will have booths.

In a testament to the fair’s success, 85% of vendors are returnees.

Whether it’s art, crafts, clothes, jewelry, wood carvings, paintings or burgers, you’ll find it there beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday.

Many businesses and restaurants report business booms during the event.

“A lot of them have their best weekend of the year,” Boyd said.

Vendors are placed strategically to avoid competition with stores offering similar products and provide the best opportunity for sales.

“We know the landscape of downtown,” Boyd said.

Taste of Coeur d’Alene, organized by the Panhandle Kiwanis, will be going on at City Park, Friday to Sunday.

Julie Leonard, co-chair of this, the 35th such culinary consortium, said it will have close to 100 vendors, with food, music and activities for kids.

Leonard called this year's requests to be part of Taste "the best we've ever had."

Proceeds help the Kiwanis support youth organizations via grants.

“We send it back out into the community,” Leonard said.

Art on the Green, in its 55th year, will take over the North Idaho College campus with more than 120 artist booths.

A shuttle bus will run daily between downtown and Art on the Green.

The Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association and the city recently signed a memorandum of understanding on the street fair that spells out roles and responsibilities of each.

Negotiations resulted in a clarification of the volunteers needed for traffic control at Third Street and Sherman as well as a four-way stop at Second and Lakeside Avenue to aid in traffic flow and safety.

The Downtown Association estimates it has about $19,000 in expenses for the fair and that volunteer hours have a value of $1,800.

The city’s costs for fire, police, streets and parks associated with last year’s events was $136,000.

Boyd said the Street Fair, Taste of Coeur d'Alene and Art on the Green collaborate well.

The events, within walking distance of one another, are expected to attract more than 50,000 people to Coeur d'Alene's downtown area during the three-day run.

“We all work together to bring one great weekend to Coeur d’Alene,” Boyd said.