First look: 2025 Illinois State Fair butter cow unveiled

SPRINGFIELD — State officials ushered in the start of the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday with the annual unveiling of the butter cow.

The sculpture is made of 800 pounds of unsalted butter spread across a wire frame. This year’s iteration depicts a cow accompanied by an “adventurer seeking hidden treasure across the fairgrounds.” The theme for this year’s fair is “Adventure Awaits.”

“Indeed, this year will be chock full of adventures and treasures for the entire family. Music and entertainment, food and drinks, rides and contests, exhibits and displays, concerts. There will be an opportunity for everyone to experience, to learn, to grow, and we’re again proud to be able to present that not just to Illinoisans who come here to Springfield to enjoy themselves, but also to people who come from around the country, to see what Illinois has to offer,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

The butter is “recycled,” meaning it is reused each year, rather than discarded. It was sculpted once again by Iowan Sarah Pratt.

The cow – the 104^th in state history – will remain on display in the Dairy Building throughout the fair. Gates will officially open at 7 a.m. Thursday, with the annual Twilight Parade scheduled for 5: 30 p.m. later that day. The fair runs through Aug. 17 from 7 a.m. until midnight each day.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The grand marshal for the parade this year is American Business Club of Springfield in celebration of its 70 years of volunteering at the fair. The 300-member club has generated over $6 million to benefit local organizations, with their main source of fundraising being the fair, according to a news release.

This year’s grandstand attractions include Jake Owen, The Black Crowes, Megan Moroney, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Brad Paisley, The Chainsmokers, Def Leppard and the Turnpike Troubadours.

As for political events, governor’s day is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 13, with Republican Day the following day.

You can follow the State Fair on Facebook, X and Instagram, or find more on the State Fair website, which is also home to a butter cow livestream.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Jerry Nowicki

Jerry began his career in news in 2013 and has covered state government since 2019. He was the editor of the LeRoy Farmer City Press in McLean and DeWitt counties from 2013 until it closed in 2017. During that span, the Press was named the state’s best small weekly newspaper by the Illinois Press Association. He was born and raised in south suburban Evergreen Park and graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in journalism.