COLUMBUS, Ohio — The theme of the Ohio State Fair’s annual butter cow display was revealed Tuesday.
This year's theme pays tribute to the Ohio inventors who “MOO-ved the world forward.” It features several notable Ohioans whose inventions improved the lives of many.
The inventors included in the display are Thomas Edison with a light bulb and phonograph, Garrett Morgan with a three-position traffic signal, Josephine Cochrane with a hand-powered dishwasher and James Spangler with a portable vacuum cleaner.
Take a look at the Ohio State Fair's newly revealed butter cow display
Next to the themed display is the traditional butter cow and calf.
“Ohio has been home to many pioneers in science and technology over the last 200 years, and this year's butter display celebrates that rich history of innovation by paying tribute to four inventors and their groundbreaking inventions,” said Jenny Crabtree, senior vice president of communications, American Dairy Association Mideast.
The sculptures were crafted from 2,000 pounds of butter, donated in part by Dairy Farmers of America. A team of Ohio-based technical sculptors spent 450 hours to complete the display with 360 hours dedicated to sculpting inside the 46-degree cooler.
“The dishwasher sculpture actually has a transparent door on it so you can see inside, something we’ve never tried before,” said lead sculptor Paul Brooke. “And we incorporated electricity into the display to illuminate the light bulb and the traffic signal.”
The American Dairy Association says the themed butter display it is one of the best-kept secrets leading up to the fair.
You can see this year's sculptures at the fair's Dairy Products Building from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from July 26 to Aug. 6.