Just about all the fair food classics can be found at the North Idaho State Fair — but there’s only one spot to get a truly original elephant ear.  

Started by Leo Lee and two of his friends in 1974, this year marked The Original Elephant Ear’s 50th consecutive year at the fair — a family tradition that is now four generations strong and boasts the title of the longest-running booth at the fair.  

“I’ve helped out at the fair for as long as I can remember,” said Blair Davis, Lee’s grandson. He was heading operations at the booth on Saturday. While the family recipe for elephant ear dough has remained unchanged, Davis can recall many changes that have taken place at the fair over the years.  

“The fair’s gotten a lot bigger, for one thing,” Davis said. “We used to be in a trailer outside until we got moved into the food court. We’ve had 30, 40-minute lines over the years after rodeos.” 

The Original Elephant Ear has been family-owned and operated since Lee first introduced them to the North Idaho State Fair 50 years ago. Even the youngest members of the family help out by taking orders before eventually graduating to rolling out the dough or frying it up once they get a little older.  

“It’s just really fun every year,” said Jaylee Davis, Blair’s daughter. “Sometimes cousins come in to help that we don’t see for a while. It’s hard work and gets busy, but it’s really all worth it.”  

Blair mentioned another change that’s come to the fair in recent years — other booths have also begun selling elephant ears. “For a while, we were the only ones. We’re still the original,” he said, laughing. When tasting one, it’s easy to see why they’ve stood the test of time.

The fair concludes today.  

    Thatcher Lybbert mans the fryer in The Original Elephant Ears booth.
  

    Nathan Mayne shows off the finished product: a hot and fresh elephant ear dusted with cinnamon sugar.