COEUR d’ALENE — The magic show of Louie Foxx, joined for a time on stage by Rathdrum’s Heleena Clay, had the crowd roaring with laughter.

The Food Court, with the Mica Flats Grange and Knights of Columbus cooking up big burgers, and the Coeur d’Alene Lions Club serving up golden corn on the cob, was packed.

Kids crowded into the Wild Science activities and adults sat and listened to a gospel jazz band.

And this was all just two hours after the gates of the North Idaho State Fair opened at 10 a.m. Saturday under sunny skies at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

After being canceled last year, the North Idaho State Fair was back, bigger and better than ever.

Alexia Jordan, fair general manager and CEO, was pleased as she surveyed the scenes unfolding around her. She was relaxed as she took a brief stroll around the grounds.

“It’s been fantastic,” she said. “A really positive experience — people have been happy.”

Despite the surge of the delta variant of the coronavirus, despite the preconcert fuss over the performance of rapper Nelly, and despite the weather suddenly going from hot and dry to cool and rainy, the 10-day fair has been a success.

Daily attendance has ranged from 8,000 to 14,000. Nearly every arena show, including the rodeo, bull riding, demolition derby and monster trucks, sold out. Community contests like Oreo stacking, corn shucking and watermelon eating were hits.

Jordan said the decision to go to 10 days instead of the usual five worked well and dispersed the crowds to give everyone room to roam in light of COVID-19. Some wore masks, most didn’t, and no one seemed upset either way.

Best of all, Jordan said, has been “just seeing our community together again, happy faces everywhere” enjoying rides, games, food and exhibits.

Even the Nelly performance, subject to some pre-show objections due to some of his past antics and lyrics, turned out to be much ado about nothing with a big crowd enjoying what was described as a great show.

“People were thrilled to see something you don’t normally get to see around here,” Jordan said.

Today is the final day of the fair and there’s still plenty to see and do. Highlights will include the rodeo, 4-H goat games, the carnival and Karen Quest with cowboy tricks. And, of course there’s limitless food and drink, including the popular elephant ears, huckleberry ice cream and that Mica Flats burger.

The fair pays more than $250,000 to bring in all the entertainment — musicians, magicians, hypnotists, parrots, reptiles, circus and more — on the grounds every day, so guests have lots of options.

“There is so much to see. You really can’t see it all in one day,” Jordan said.

In her fifth year overseeing the fair, the one struggle has been with staffing and just not having enough people to do everything that needed to be done.

“Everybody’s been really patient with us to get through all that,” Jordan said.

During the fair, Jordan puts in roughly 15-hour days, starting about 8 a.m. and heading home about 11 p.m.

She does pretty much everything and anything.

“I am there for whatever needs to happen at the moment it has to happen,” she said.

Jordan said the ending of the fair isn't what you might think, that they are happy and relieved. Not so.

“You work so hard for it, so when it’s over, it’s kind of sad for a couple days. The grounds are empty, nobody’s around. It gets a little quiet."

But not for long

The staff tidies up, takes a little break and then it's on to 2022.

“You start again,” Jordan said.

Fair gates open at 10 today. The carnival opens at noon. It’s Family Sunday, so kids 12 and younger are free from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jordan hopes to see you there.

“It’s your last opportunity to have some fun with us," she said.