Illinois State Fair kicks off with debut of butter cow

Officials from the Illinois State Fair unveiled this year's traditional Butter Cow on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield on Wednesday.

It's like throwing out the first pitch at a ball game, as it officially opens the fair festivities now underway through August 21.

Sculptor Sarah Pratt put the cow in a garden scene this year for the fair theme, "Grow With Us."

The first butter cow was created exactly 100 years ago and has been the unoffical mascot of the fair ever since.

Another tradition: there are 13 hidden hearts carved into the sculpture. They represent the 13 essential nutrients found in milk, according to the Illinois Dairy Association.

The refrigerated sculpture will be on display in the Dairy Building for the length of the fair. There's even a webcam for online viewing.

The southern Illinois version of the fair at Du Quoin -- sans cow -- gets underway on August 23.




(Photo tweeted by Gov. Pritzker's office)