UPDATE: 4:00 p.m.
Illinois State Fair officials unveiled the 100th butter cow Wednesday on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
The 2021 Butter Cow features the Dairy Building theme “Embracing Tradition� and has been constructed to signify the 13 essential nutrients found naturally in milk, by having 13 hearts hidden into the mold. Along with the heart the cow features a young exhibitor embracing the animal.
“After a year where the world stopped, I felt including an exhibitor embracing the cow signifies the joy our youth are experiencing as they return to the fair,” said Sarah Pratt, 2021 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow Sculptor. “You only get one chance to celebrate the 100th Anniversary and hope this year’s Butter Cow will invoke those feelings of nostalgia people have experienced for generations.�
“For a lot of families, it is a picture they take year after year,” said Illinois Agriculture Director, Jerry Costello II. “To have such an iconic stop at the Illinois State Fair for 100 years is priceless.�
The iconic sculpture will remain on display in the Dairy Building for the duration of the fair and be viewable live via the Butter Cow
ORIGINAL STORY
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WREX) � The ever-popular butter cow at the Illinois State Fair is set to be unveiled on Wednesday.
Governor Pritzker will be joined by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, Illinois Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II, State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon and Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Kelsi Kessler are expected to be in attendance for the unveiling Wednesday afternoon.
“This year we are celebrating the 100th year of the butter cow at the Illinois State Fair,� said Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II. “We are extremely proud of our partnership with the Midwest Dairy Association, which allows us to keep this long-standing tradition alive at the Illinois State Fair, and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for this year’s sculpture."
We'll be streaming the unveiling of the butter on our at 3 p.m.
The state fair kicks off on Thursday and lasts through Aug. 22. For more information, .
