'Acres of Fun'

COEUR d’ALENE — As superintendent of the photography exhibit at the North Idaho State Fair, Ken Cook selects one entry for a ribbon.

This year, though, he couldn’t go with his favorite.

“Actually, this is the best photo in the whole building,” he said, proudly pointing to one of a smiling young girl.

So why not give it the ribbon? Well, Cook took it, and it was of his great-granddaughter.

“I can’t pick my own,” he said, laughing.

Still, he was pleased with the one he chose for the superintendent’s ribbon. The picture by Melissa Matis showed a dog flopped down on furniture, looking quite bored.

“The expression of the dog, 'I’ve had a rough day,’” Cook said. “I love it.”

The North Idaho State Fair opens its 10-day run Friday at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

The theme is “Acres of Fun,” which fair CEO and General Manager Alexcia Jordan said is just right this year.

"We have fun around every corner,” she said Wednesday morning as she walked around the fairgrounds, where vendors and others were setting up for opening day. “We really took a fun, agricultural route this year. Everything is colorful and fun and we hope that people just bring their smiles and enjoy that small town fair feel.”

Jordan believes the fair, the third-largest in the state, can top last year’s record attendance of just over 168,000.

The weather for much of the fair looks good, with the forecast calling for sunny skies with highs in the 80s and low 90s on most days.

The fair offers its usual array of food, entertainment, games, rides, music, reptiles, rodeos and contests.

4-Hers will be presenting their critters, magicians will make things disappear and quilts, veggies and flowers will be on display, along with vintage agriculture equipment

A fun zone, remote race cars, pony rides, and a farm park await the arrival of kids.

A sure-fire hit promises to be the “All-Alaskan Racing Pigs.”

It's just what it says: Pigs will be hoofing it.

"It’s hilarious,” Jordan said.

So popular is the fair that all the rodeo shows are already sold out and have been for some time.

“People love rodeos around here,” Jordan said.

The Chase Rice concert scheduled Tuesday is nearly sold out.

Jordan stopped by the culinary arts and crafts building, which is one of her favorites.

“This is the heart of what we do. This is where the most traditional piece of the fair is,” she said.

Ron and Tracey Nelson, owners of Philly Express, are back for the fourth year with their lineup of Philly sandwiches and the popular deep-fried cheese curds.

Ron Nelson said his crew of family and friends will make around 1,200 Garlic Philly sandwiches and go through 240, 10-pound cases of cheese curds.

“People love ‘em,” Ron Nelson said as he took a break from set-up duties on Wednesday. “We're going to sell the crud out of the Garlic Philly and the Garlic cheese curds.”

Jordan said the fair's popularity is a testament to its combination of old and new. It maintains traditional exhibits and entertainment while introducing new ones. It keeps the young and the old coming back for more every year.

“It speaks to everyone," she said.

In her nine years leading the North Idaho State Fair, Jordan has learned this: “You never stop learning. You need to be willing to go with the flow. You need to be willing to pivot and change. There’s a lot of moving parts to putting on a production of this size.”

The fair requires more than a year of planning and preparation by Jordan and her team to pull it together. Some 600 volunteers help make it happen.

Her favorite part of the fair is when it’s in full gear — rides are rolling, burgers are cooking and music is playing — and she can find a spot to sit and watch people enjoy it. The smiles and laughter of families and friends is all she needs to see.

“It reminds me this is why we do this,” she said.

Fair gates open at 2 p.m. Friday. The carnival opens at 3.

Tickets: www.nisfair.fun