#IDAHO STATE JOURNAL HOW TO#

Jordan said they are ready and may create some extra shaded areas and set up misting stations. The heat could be a problem, as temperatures are expected to be in the 90s throughout the fair’s run. “I think my crew does a really good job to go with the flow when we have to change things up.' “Things always happen, whether you like it or not,” she said. More than a year of planning goes into the fair so Jordan and her team are ready for the unexpected. “This particular exhibit kind of highlights that but adds a little fun flavor to it.' “We tried to theme everything we're doing around our 100-year celebration,” she said. Jordan said they teamed with the Museum of North Idaho for the selfie museum. Informational posters will outline the area’s history, such as Weeks Field, which once stood where the fairgrounds is now. People are welcome to pose, snap and post. Themed booths are set up - the '20s, carnival, planes and cotton candy. New this year is the 'centennial selfie museum' that pays tribute to the 100 years of the fair. “I think the whole crew is feeling pretty good at the moment with how things are coming together,” she said. Jordan said she believes this could be one of the best fairs. Games of skill await, as well as endless entertainment with the likes of a lumberjack show, a wild west show, and magicians and hypnotists.įor the kids, there’s a fun zone, remote cars, a petting zoo and, of course, the rides.įor those who like tradition, the vintage agriculture equipment and the Idaho Forest Group sawmill exhibit, quilts, photography, flowers and fruits will be popular.Īnd music lovers will enjoy the different decades of entertainment. This year's lineup will feature concerts, a carnival, monster trucks, a rodeo and all the food and drink one might wish for, along with 200 commercial vendors.Ĥ-Hers will be showing off their horses, sheep, goats and pigs, and the draft horses will make an appearance. For a time, it was held where McEuen Park now sits. The theme of the North Idaho State Fair is “Salute to a Century.” The first fair in Kootenai County was in 1922. “We're hoping that this year is just as good if not better because it is our 100-year celebration,” she said. They expect to beat that, as online sales have been strong. Last year, about 154,000 people passed through the gates. “There are always moments of chaos, but it comes together,” Jordan said. Tarps went up, power was connected and flowers were arranged. It was the calm before the storm as vendors and volunteers carried cases of water to booths, lined up jewelry on display and placed signs for burgers and ice cream in the food court. That's how it goes the day before the gates open for what is one of North Idaho’s most-loved events. He had a question about the Coors tent being set up. “Hi, Howard,” she said, as the cart rolled to a stop. Jordan, wearing a shirt that said, 'I can't keep calm, it's fair week!,' buzzed about in a cart, maneuvering around crates and chatting with folks as she went. On Thursday, she and her crew were busy taking care of details for the 10-day celebration that runs today through Aug.

#IDAHO STATE JOURNAL HOW TO#

But learning how to take it as it comes and make sure we are as prepared as possible is probably what I've learned the most,” Jordan said. The original article can be found on The Idaho State Journal's website here.COEUR d’ALENE - Alexcia Jordan has been general manager and CEO of the North Idaho State Fair since 2016. Country First is starting up chapters all over the country - including here in Idaho. It’s a social movement designed to bring together, in conversation, fair-minded people who value their country more than any political affiliation. Country First is not, first and foremost, a political organization. To that end I’ve joined the Country First movement. Those of us who value comity, diversity of thought and fairness are going to have to step up, show our strength, and begin pushing back on the partisans.

But getting from here to there isn’t automatic. This journey has actually encouraged me that our best days are ahead. Since retiring, I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around the country, talking with people from all backgrounds and ways of life. In nearly every national election for quite some time, extreme polarization in our political process has produced, with grim efficiency, atrocious candidates who substantially represent no one except those on the fringes of the political spectrum. Readers of this column know that I am no fan of either major political party in this country.

Idaho state journal