Butter Cow Unveiled at State Fair

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Published on August 14 2015 2:48 pm
Last Updated on August 14 2015 2:48 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

The butter cow has been an icon at the Illinois State Fair for over 90 years. It has always been a tradition at the fair and this year is no different.

The "Official 2015 Butter Cow" was unveiled Thursday in the Dairy Building. As in previous years, the butter cow is being sculpted during the fair by the talented sculptor, Sharon BuMann.

Sharon BuMann is from New York and this will be her final year of sculpting the popular Illinois State Fair tradition, as she is retiring. Her butter cow days are far from over though as she will be writing a book detailing all her buttery adventures.

The Butter Cow sculpture changes each year to feature the cow in a different setting. "This year's butter cow was inspired by the 2015 Illinois State Fair's theme, Growing Illinois," states BuMann. "I get my inspiration from my family farm. This year the sculpture is of a grandfather showing his granddaughter the farm. I like to add fun and excitement to the sculpture because it's more than just a butter cow. It's a butter sculpture."

The sculpture is to be finished towards the beginning of next week. The cow is currently in the beginning stages, but it is sure to beautiful when completed. The Butter Cow is not the only attraction in the Dairy Building. This year, there are children's games, the milkshake and ice cream sales, and the exhibits of champion dairy products.

The 2015 Illinois State Fair runs August 13th - 23rd.