After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the famous(ly weird?) Ohio State Fair butter cow will be back this year.
The previous iteration in 2019 honored the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, complete with butter astronauts and a butter Neil Armstrong saluting the American flag.
What will 2022 bring? The American Dairy Association Mideast isn't disclosing this year's theme, despite our best efforts to lure it out of them.
"We are so excited about this year's butter display," says Jenny Crabtree with ADA Mideast. "The famous butter cow and calf will be sharing their cooler with some other butter figures that I am confident fairgoers will love."
Past sculptures have included athletes, sports teams, state symbols, choirs, the Columbus bicentennial and more.
Sculpting is scheduled to begin July 10. Artists will create two cows and the surprise theme display from more than a ton of butter.
"The sculptors start by building wooden and steel frames to support the weight of the butter. From 55-pound blocks, sculptors slice the butter into manageable loaves and layer it to cover the frames. After many hours of molding and smoothing the butter in a 46-degree cooler, each sculpture begins to take shape. Fine details are added last," ADA Mideast states in a release.
Ohioans were encouraged to sculpt their own butter creations at home during the COVID-19 hiatus.
The Ohio State Fair runs July 27 - Aug. 7 in Columbus. The butter display reportedly attracts more than half a million visitors each year. ADA Mideast claims it to be the most visited attraction at the state fair.
The butter cow dates back to 1903.
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