COLUMBUS, Ohio – Butter Blooper Teasers: The Sculptures That Didn’t Make the Cut
In a fun twist ahead of the reveal, the Ohio State Fair released three teaser images of “misfit” butter sculptures that didn’t make it into the final display. These included:
👕 An airbrushed fair souvenir T-shirt 🧈 A giant stick of butter 🤦♂️ A pair of Coldplay fans (yes, really)
BUT REALLY – The legendary butter cow is back for the 2025 Ohio State Fair — and this year, it’s trading its traditional calm pasture scene for a construction zone with a cheerful message: “Pardon Our Dust!”
Unveiled this week by Ohio’s dairy farmers and the American Dairy Association Mideast, the butter sculpture celebrates the ongoing renovations at the historic Dairy Products Building, home of the iconic butter cow and calf.
This year’s life-sized butter display, made from 2,000 pounds of creamy sculpture-grade butter, features:
The beloved butter cow and calf wearing hard hats
Three full-size butter construction workers: one operating a jackhammer, another studying blueprints, and a third using a two-way radio
Scaffolding, safety cones, sawhorses, and a “Pardon Our Dust” sign — all sculpted entirely from butter
“The butter cow’s home is getting a well-deserved facelift,” said Jenny Crabtree, senior VP of communications for the American Dairy Association Mideast. “We can’t wait for fairgoers to experience the improvements in 2026.”
The renovations will bring air conditioning, expanded amenities, and a larger kitchen to the 100-year-old Dairy Products Building, enhancing the experience for more than 500,000 annual visitors who flock to see the butter cow.
The playful sneak peek helped build anticipation for one of the fair’s most beloved traditions — a tradition that spotlights Ohio’s 1,350+ dairy farms.
400 Hours in a 46-Degree Cooler
The sculpture was crafted over several weeks by a team of Ohio-based artists led by Paul Brooke of Cincinnati, along with Tammy Buerk, Erin Birum, dairy farmer Matt Davidson, Joe Metzler, and Gabriela Schmidt. The team logged nearly 400 hours — 335 of them spent sculpting in a chilly 46-degree cooler.
To bring the buttery scene to life, the artists built steel and wooden frames, applied butter by hand, and gradually shaped and detailed each figure with precision.
Innovation in Dairy, On and Off the Farm
While the Dairy Products Building is getting a facelift, Ohio dairy farmers are also making continual improvements — using climate-controlled barns, robotic milking systems, and sustainable practices like water recycling and renewable energy generation from manure.
The American Dairy Association Mideast sponsors the butter cow display each year, selecting a theme that is non-political, uplifting, and reflective of Ohio life. The sculptures are made using butter donated in part by Dairy Farmers of America and will be recycled after the fair.
Fair Details
The Ohio State Fair runs July 23 to August 3, 2025, at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus. During renovations, fans can still grab their favorites: prepackaged ice cream cups, Swiss cheese sandwiches, and plenty of milk.
