Introducing The 2022 NYS Fair Butter Sculpture

The 2022 New York State Fair Butter Sculpture has been unveiled.

Sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton, who have been carving the sculpture for the last 20 years, began work on the 54th edition, using unsellable butter from Batavia, New York over a week ago.

The butter used for the sculpture is out of specification for retail sale for a variety of reasons, so American Dairy Association North East works with the sculptors to put it to good use by creating a beautiful piece of art that thousands enjoy.

This year's theme is 'Refuel for Greatness,' featuring female athletes. And for the first time in 16 years color has been used in the sculpture.

You can watch the official unveiling on the American Dairy Association's Facebook page.

Recycled Butter

The butter doesn’t go to waste after the fair is over. Instead, it'll be sent to Noblehurst Farms, a dairy farm in Pavilion, New York, where it will be recycled into renewable energy.

“I really love that this iconic attraction repurposes butter not just once, but twice – first by turning the unusable product into an artistic sculpture, and then after the fair, by recycling it into renewable energy on a dairy farm,” said John Chrisman, CEO, American Dairy Association North East.

Butter Sculptures Through the Years

Take a walk down memory lane, and look back at the butter sculptures over the years at the New York State Fair. Check out this year's inside the Dairy Products Building.

The annual tradition began in 1969 when William Clements transformed a pile of butter into a cow jumping over the moon. The creators may have changed over the years but the butter sculpture remains.