2021 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow

Posted on August 12, 2021
Illinois Department of Agriculture director Jerry Costello II said it’s not just sculptor Sarah Pratt, but some 117,000 dairymen and -women of Illinois to bolster this industry. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Eight hundred pounds of salted Illinois butter – some of it “recycled” – make up a blue-ribbon cow, cuddled by the child who, presumably, raised and showed her.

Illinois State Fair officials, led by Gov. JB Pritzker, unveiled the cow Wednesday afternoon, the day before the opening of the 2021 fair.

Illinois Department of Agriculture director Jerry Costello II said it’s not just sculptor Sarah Pratt, but some 117,000 dairymen and -women of Illinois to bolster this industry.

As Pritzker explained how a mask mandate for all indoor fair activities, and for anywhere there is a crowd, will combine with mass vaccination to make the 2021 fair a safe one, leave it to Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Kelsi Kessler to steal the show – even from a butter cow – with her one-of-a-kind wit.

“What an udder delight to be here!”

“You’d butter believe fairgoers are excited!”

“I’m not gonna milk any more time up here”

Safe to say, she left little margarine for error.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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