Eager New York State Fair butter sculpture fans were encouraged to pay attention to the cow behind the curtain the morning of Aug. 19.
The draw? The great and powerful new butter sculpture at the NY State Fair, inspired by “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” on the 125th anniversary of the story.
The sculpture centers a cow with ruby red hoofs in a hot air balloon emblazoned with “Dairy Defies Gravity” and is surrounded by three figures: a pregnant woman with a glass of milk, a baby eating a yogurt and a toddler with a piece of cheese. The sculpture, titled “Dairy For Good: Nourish. Grow. Thrive,” pays tribute to New York’s own, author L. Frank Baum, and the stages of life.
Sponsored by Wegmans, the sculpture is constructed from 800 pounds of butter from O-AT-KO Milk Products in Batavia. It’s the fourth year color has been used in the sculpture, with flowers and the cow’s hoofs among the Technicolor splashes. The sculptors are Jim Victor and Marie Pelton across an 11-day period in the Dairy Products Building.
“The butter sculpture is the fair’s best-kept secret,” Victor said. “People can’t wait to see it, what it’s going to be each year. That makes it exciting for us.”
NY State Fair opening day
It’s the unofficial kickoff for the New York State Fair, which opens on Aug. 20.
“The butter sculpture is more than just a beautiful work of art, it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of our dairy farms and producers,” said Julie LaFave, director of the New York State Fair. “It’s a chance to shine a light on their hard work and showcase the very best of New York agriculture.”
A view of the unveiling for the 57th annual butter sculpture at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
The sculpture will remain up for the duration of the state fair in its refrigerated display case. Following the conclusion of the fair on Sept. 1, the sculpture will be changed for good: the butter will be recycled to create renewable energy in an anaerobic digester at Noblehurst Farms in Livingston County.
The digester processes manure on the farm and food scraps from local grocery stores, restaurants and more — including Rochester Institute of Technology and Wegmans — into biogas used in electricity generation, heating and hot water. The sculpture has been recycled for the past decade, generating enough electricity to power a home for a month. The electricity generated powers the farm and Craigs Station Creamery milk plant.
Last 10 butter sculptures
2025: Dairy For Good: Nourish. Grow. Thrive
2024: Dairy: Good for you. Good for the planet
2023: Dairy Every Day is a Healthy Way
2022: Refuel Her Greatness
2021: Back to School, Sports and Play
2020: Nourishing Our Future
2019: Milk. Love What’s Real
2018: Your Milk Comes From A Good Place
2017: Dairy Farmers’ Tribute to New York State Troopers
2016: Milk Life Celebrates the Success of Team USA and the Athletes of New York State
— Steve Howe reports on weather, climate and the Great Lakes for the Democrat and Chronicle. An RIT graduate, he has covered myriad topics over the years, including public safety, local government, national politics and economic development in New York and Utah.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Butter sculpture state fair NY shown in Syracuse
