COEUR d'ALENE — When the North Idaho State Fair closed its gates Sunday, it was time for Alexcia Jordan and team to take a well-earned rest.

But it's a short rest, because planning is already underway for next year.

"I'm so proud to be part of a group of people who just want to continually seek to improve," said Jordan, general manager and CEO of the annual event that set an attendance record for its 10-day run from Aug. 18-27.

The North Idaho State Fair saw 168,567 guests come to the Kootenai County Fairgrounds this year, a 9% increase. It also set a single-day record of about 18,000 visitors Saturday.

Jordan said while they were confident of a good year, the numbers were higher than anticipated.

"We didn't expect to see that much in growth," she said.

She attributed their success to the variety of activities, attractions and exhibits the fair offers, along with commitment to maintaining tradition.

The fair marked its 100th year with the theme "Salute to a Century."

"It still holds that rural charm," Jordan said.

The rodeo, as usual, was a fan favorite, and kids and adults enjoyed the rides. The 4-H critters and contests commanded crowds and the concerts did well, despite a heatwave with temperatures in the 90s.

"It just went really smoothly this year," she said.

Jordan and crew huddled Monday to talk about the fair and what they plan to do for an encore next year.

She said they'll stick with the 10-day format that was introduced last year, a change from the usual five days.

She said the additional days allow them to space out crowds so they can enjoy everything at the fair without waiting in long lines.

"We were busy every day, but the only day it felt crowded was the last Saturday," Jordan said.

Next year's fair is already set for Aug. 18-27. The theme hasn't been determined yet, but Jordan and team are working on it.