The annual butter cow display at the Ohio State Fair is out of this world.
The life-sized butter sculptures pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, said the American Dairy Association Mideast, the group that sponsors the annual display.
The display, unveiled on July 23 in Columbus, features a butter sculpture of an iconic scene from that day: Ohio native Neil Armstrong standing next to the lunar module Eagle, saluting the American flag after planting it on the moon’s surface, the dairy association said.
The entire Apollo 11 crew — Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins — was also recreated in butter. Next to the astronauts are the traditional butter cow and calf, mainstays at the annual display.
Visitors to the fair can see the display in the Dairy Products Building at the Ohio Expo Center from July 24 to Aug. 4.
The sculptures are formed from about 2,200 pounds of butter, the dairy association said. Five sculptors worked for about 400 hours in a 46-degree cooler to complete the display.
Butter from 55-pound blocks is layered on steel frames to bring the sculptures to life, with fine details being added last.
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