Sorry, we couldn’t resist that pun.
This year we’re continuing our weekly look at unique festivals, events, and attractions that are within an easy driving distance of the Mansfield area. We call these “Summer Road Trips.” Of course, we regularly feature the many extraordinary places to visit right here in Richland County and encourage our readers to get out and experience what is on offer in our own backyard.
Today we’re turning our attention to a place where rides, sights, sounds, and summer fun collide each year.
The venerable Ohio State Fair is currently underway in Columbus. The family-friendly event, which was initiated in 1850 and which, as we have recently shared, was most recently in Mansfield before moving permanently to Columbus, ends its run this coming Sunday, August 4.
While there are hundreds of stories which could be written about the Fair, each featuring some aspect or attraction taking place, one of the traditional “must-sees” is the famous “butter cow” exhibit in the Dairy Products Building. Each year, the cow is joined by additional figures; this year’s edition is a special one.
Fifty years after the first moon landing, this iconic moment in American history is being honored in this year’s butter display at the Ohio State Fair. The sculptures are made from more than 2,200 pounds of butter, capturing the most memorable moments from the July 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.
“Those who remember the moon landing often recall exactly where they were and how they felt, and the 50th anniversary is the perfect time to pay tribute to this amazing event and share that excitement with a new generation,” said Jenny Hubble, senior vice president of communications for the American Dairy Association Mideast. “Ohio also has a special connection to that day, as one of our own took the first-ever steps on the surface of the moon.”
The butter display includes a life-size sculpture of Neil Armstrong, a native of Wapakoneta, standing next to the lunar module Eagle and saluting the American flag after planting it on the moon’s surface. The 2019 display also includes a butter sculpture of the entire spacecraft crew: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and, of course, the traditional butter cow and calf.
The annual butter display is presented at the Ohio State Fair by the American Dairy Association Mideast, and the theme is one of the best kept secrets leading up to the fair. This year’s out-of-this-world display is expected to attract more than 500,000 fairgoers to the Dairy Products Building, where they can also learn about Ohio’s dairy farmers and enjoy Ohio-produced dairy foods including ice cream, milkshakes, cheese sandwiches and milk.
Source: American Dairy Association
