Butter Cow sculpture unveiled at state fair

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

COLUMBUS – It’s a tradition that began in 1850 and it’s still going strong – the Ohio State Fair.

The fair begins its 12-day run today in Columbus. Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel will be on hand at 10 a.m. to cut the ribbon as part of the opening ceremony.

Just like previous fairs, it will feature a long list of traditional and new and unique foods, games, hundreds of exhibits and vendors. Various other forms of entertainment and concerts are scheduled for each day, including Foreigner and Trace Adkins. More information, including admission, ride prices, parking and concerts can be found here.

The unofficial start to the Fair occurred on Tuesday, as the American Dairy Association Mideast revealed this year’s Butter Cow sculpture designs. The theme is “Pardon our Dust!” and features cows and construction workers designed to highlight upcoming renovations at the state fairgrounds, including the Dairy Products Building. Those renovations are scheduled to be completed next year.

The traditional cow and calf are depicted with butter hard-hats alongside three construction workers, one with a jackhammer, another holding a blueprint, and the third on a walkie talkie. Scaffolding, cones, and more make up the taped up dairy construction site.

“We’re so excited the Dairy Products Building is part of the master plan to revitalize and enhance the fairgrounds,” says Jenny Crabtree, senior vice president of communications for the American Dairy Association Mideast. “The butter cow’s home is getting a well-deserved facelift, and we can’t wait for fairgoers to experience the improvements in 2026.”

Butter Cow sculptures have been part of the Ohio State Fair for more than 100 years, and the use of themes alongside the traditional cow and calf has been around since the 1960s. A group of Ohio-based sculptors used one ton of butter to make the sculpture and they worked for approximately 400 hours, most of it in a cooler set at 46 degrees. To bring the sculptures to life, the artists build steel and wooden frames, layer butter by hand and gradually refine the forms before chiseling and smoothing the final details.

Past themes include the Apollo 11 moon landing, the cult-classic movie “A Christmas Story,” a sculpture celebrating the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA title, innovators from the Buckeye State, and Ohio athletes.

The butter cow display attracts more than 500,000 visitors at the Ohio State Fair, gaining nationwide recognition and media attention. A long-standing tradition for Ohio’s more than 1,350 dairy farm families, the American Dairy Association Mideast chooses an icon or theme to feature in butter that is non-political, non-controversial and reflects optimism and broad audience appeal. The butter cow display and the Dairy Products Building are sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast, a marketing and promotion program funded by the Ohio dairy farmers. The butter was donated in part by Dairy Farmers of America and will be recycled.