COEUR d'ALENE - Just as fast as the Kootenai County Fairgrounds was swept up in the chaos of livestock shows and sweets vendors and twirling rides, the North Idaho Fair and Rodeo was gone for another year.

After the five-day event officially closed on Sunday night, fair Manager Chris Holloway lauded this year as boasting barely any issues.

"I think I had less complaints than ever," Holloway said. "It was magical, like a stage production that went well."

The only hang-up this year, she added, was out of her control.

The weather.

Temperatures soaring into the 90s put a dent in attendance and food sales, Holloway said, though the exact numbers for attendance and revenue won't be tallied for several days.

"It was the first hot day of the summer. People weren't used to it," she said. "Going to the lake was probably more enticing."

Crowds did pick up after the sun disappeared, she added.

"But by that time, it's hard to recover," she said.

The sizzling heat also affected food sales, one of the fair's revenue sources, she added.

"I think people don't like to eat when it's hot," Holloway reasoned. "Other than if you were selling ice cream cones or snow cones."

The grounds were still bustling on Monday with folks dropping in for their exhibit entries.

Rhonda Babbitt said the fair brought real pride for the family this year, as her granddaughter, Alexandria Choquette, collected several first and second place ribbons for her cookie entries.

"She made everything from scratch," Babbitt said with a grin. "She takes after me that way. I make pretty good cookies."

Choquette, 11, thought the fair was better than previous years, with more rides to choose from.

The heat did slow the Post Falls family a little, Choquette admitted.

"We had to sit down a couple times," she said.

Dodi Rode and her 7 and 9-year-old daughters piled up a red wagon with fair entries.

There were papier mache helmets, a Lego diorama, a vegetable shaped like Pinocchio.

"The girls made $15 a piece, and they got about 10 ribbons," Rode said with a smile. "I think they enjoy everybody seeing their work being displayed."

The fair provided some happy memories, she said, adding that the heat was manageable.

"We liked all the mist during the hot weather," she said of water sprayed in the show buildings. "I think they were misting the animals, but the humans appreciated it, too."

Other aspects of the fair managed just fine, Holloway said.

As usual, the grounds were kept clean, animals were successfully shown and volunteers kept events running smoothly.

Holloway didn't hear any complaints about the fair's new side shows, she said, or the designated areas for alcohol.

"That was pretty low key," she said. "It didn't take away from the fair at all."

High temperatures don't impact everything.

"It was better than if we had rain," Holloway said.