Taste buds in for treat

North Country Chapel members spent part of their summer beautifying the north end of the grandstand to make it more accommodating for their concession stand at this year's North Idaho Fair and Rodeo.

"They have completely remodeled the food booth," said Bob Davis, pastor of North Country Chapel. "Many people have worked huge hours."

The North Country Kitchen will feature hand-dipped corn dogs, snow cones, cotton candy, jet tea smoothies with whipped cream, and its signature funnel cakes.

North Country Chapel, located in Post Falls, uses its fair proceeds to support its Hope Crusade, which is held each August at the fairgrounds.

"Our goal is to be part of the community," Davis said.

"Community service projects like this give our ministry an opportunity to serve."

Like North Country Chapel, several civic organizations run concession stands at the fair to raise money.

The Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce will debut the Idaho Ice Cream Baked Potato. The ice cream potato is made with french vanilla ice cream, and topped with whipped cream and chive-like sprinkles. The potato sits on a plate in a bed of hot fudge.

"They look exactly like a real baked potato," said Tony Sayler of the chamber. "They're delicious."

The chamber is not going to serve the Heart Attack and Slider burgers and french fries it has in the past. This year the chamber is exclusively featuring the new ice cream potato and its chamber dogs. All proceeds from the chamber's concession stand are used for its Junior Miss Scholarship Program.

Calvary Lutheran Church is going to have a brand new food item called a viking burger.

"It is kind of like a meatball on a stick," said Lynn Affeldt of Calvary Lutheran.

The quarter-pound burgers are made from hamburger, sausage and special spices. Then they're dipped into a batter and lightly fried. Affeldt said there will be several choices of sauce for the viking burger, including a creamy horseradish.

"We have scaled down our menu this year to promote the viking burger," Affeldt said. "They are really popular in Montana and at Norwegian festivals."

Dee Jay Concessions is adding Greek Gyros.

Instead of hiring seasonal workers, the North Idaho Fair contracts with civic groups for behind-the-scenes jobs. Those involved include the Sweet Adelines, who remove ground litter; the Kootenai County Emergency Auxiliary, which runs the lost children information booth; Kootenai Amateur Radio Society, which takes tickets; Coeur d'Alene High School cheerleaders, who clean tables and chairs; Lake City High School cheerleaders, who empty trash cans; and the Lake City High Drill team, which distributes programs.

"We get compliments every year about how clean the grounds are. The Sweet Adelines and cheerleaders do an excellent job," said fair manager Chris Holloway. "It seems like people don't litter as much because it is so clean."

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