100th anniversary of butter cow celebrated with ‘Embracing Tradition’ theme

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The 100th anniversary of a butter cow sculpture will be celebrated at the Illinois State Fair, Aug. 12-22.

“The first butter cow was sculpted 100 years ago and for the sculpture this year we’re following the theme ‘Embracing Tradition’ to celebrate coming back to the fair,” said Kendra Anderson, manager, farmer relations — Illinois for Midwest Dairy.

Located in the Dairy Building at the State Fair, the butter cow is often called the unofficial icon of the fair, Anderson said.

“It is always a hit, especially the first weekend when there’s usually a line out of the Dairy Building to see the butter cow,” she said.

It takes sculptor Sarah Pratt about five days to complete the life-size butter cow.

“Sarah apprenticed under Norma Lyon who previously sculpted the Illinois State Fair butter cow,” Anderson said. “Sarah is a special education teacher in Des Moines and she butter sculpts during the summer.”

Pratt typically develops the concept for the butter cow each year.

“Then we collaborate on finalizing the concept,” Anderson said. “She is also sculpting the Iowa State Fair butter cow.”

The 2021 butter cow will be unveiled to the public at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

Along with viewing the special 100th anniversary butter cow, there are several additional activities available to fairgoers in the Dairy Building.

“We are going to have a photo booth and some fun new photo cutouts, so there will be lots of photo opportunities,” Anderson said.

A new activity this year is a scavenger hunt that will include five questions.

“All the answers will be somewhere in the Dairy Building on one of our signs or displays,” Anderson said. “Each person will need to fill out the form and put it in a ballot box.”

At the end of the fair, a grand prize winner will be drawn.

“The prize is a Chicago Bears autographed item,” Anderson said.

The Illinois dairy ambassadors will be conducting a dairy trivia Plinko game during each day of the fair.

“Winners of the game will receive Undeniably Dairy prizes,” Anderson said.

Several dairy items will be for sale in the Dairy Building, including milk shakes, soft serve ice cream cones, hand scooped ice cream cones, milk and the popular cream puffs, which were selected as the 2018 SJR Golden Abe’s Fantastic Fair Food People’s Choice Award.

Entries and winners of the Dairy Products contest will be on display in the Dairy Building.

“There will be cheeses, butter, milk, sour cream and ice cream entries that come from at least three states,” Anderson said. “They will be judged before the fair starts, so visitors can see the winners on the first day of the fair.”

Although specific numbers are not recorded, Anderson said, she expects at least 100,000 people to visit the Dairy Building during the fair this year.

For more information about the Illinois State Fair, go to www2.illinois.gov/statefair.