800 Pounds of Butter Has Arrived at New York State Fair! Let the Sculpting Begin

The butter has arrived at the New York State Fair. More than 800 pounds of it. It's all to create the annual Butter Sculpture, one of Central New York’s best-kept secrets and most beloved attractions at the fair each year.

Sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton, who have been carving the sculpture since 2003, have begun work on the 55th edition, using unsellable butter from Batavia, New York.

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.

Noblehurst Farms Recycles Butter

Once the fair is over the work of art will be turned into electricity to power farms and homes.

For the eighth year in a row, the 800 pounds of butter will make its way to Noblehurst Farms in Livingston County, about 15 miles from where the butter originated, to be recycled into renewable energy and power the farm and homes in the community.

“We are honored to be recycling the New York State Fair Butter Sculpture” said dairy farmer Chris Noble of Noblehurst Farms and Craigs Creamery. “We will mix the butter sculpture with other food waste and convert it to energy over the course of about 28 days. That energy will be created into electricity which will power homes in the local community.”

 Butter Sculptures Through the Years

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.

The Annual Butter Sculpture will be unveiled on Tuesday, August 22, the day before the New York State Fair officially opens. Until then, take a walk down memory lane, and look back at the butter sculptures over the years.