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The Udderly cool story of the State Fair Butter Cow

The Illinois State Fair is filled with traditions, from carnival rides and concerts to livestock competitions and plenty of fair food. But for generations of fairgoers, no trip to Springfield is complete without stopping by the Dairy Building to see one of the fair’s most recognizable attractions... the Butter Cow.

The Butter Cow has been an unofficial icon of the Illinois State Fair since the 1920s. Each year, approximately 500 pounds of unsalted butter are carefully sculpted by hand to create the life-sized cow. The process takes several days, transforming an everyday dairy product into a work of art.

While the cow may be the star of the show, a trip to the Dairy Building offers plenty more to explore. Fairgoers can enjoy ice cream, cream puffs and milk while checking out displays featuring Illinois dairy products. The building also showcases prize-winning milk, cheese, ice cream and other products that highlight the role dairy plays in Illinois agriculture.

The Butter Cow is just one piece of the Illinois State Fair’s long connection to agriculture. The first fair was held in Springfield in 1853 with a mission that included showcasing improvements in agriculture and livestock. More than 170 years later, agriculture remains at the heart of the celebration.

This year’s Illinois State Fair runs Aug. 13-23 in Springfield, giving visitors plenty of time to experience everything the fair has to offer. Whether it’s your first visit or an annual family tradition, make sure to stop by the Dairy Building and see an Illinois original that has delighted fairgoers for more than a century.

Passing it on: A Springfield resident receives recognition for blood donation

• Springfield
• Fresenius Kabi National Blood Donation Hall of Fame
• Recognition

For Springfield resident David Butt, what started as a one-time blood donation to learn his blood type turned into donating blood 400 times.

Butt has been donating blood since 1990 and has now reached the 400-donation mark. In honor of that milestone, the Fresenius Kabi National Blood Donation Hall of Fame will recognize him this year.

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A summer tradition like no other: the Chicago Air and Water Show

• Tourism
• Chicago
• Air and Water Show

One weekend in August, the Chicago lakefront hosts the largest and oldest free-admission air and water exhibition in the United States. This past weekend (Aug. 15 – Aug. 16), Chicago’s lakefront saw over one million visitors for the annual showcase and bone-rattling displays.

Although this display is best seen on Chicago’s lakefront, you can see and hear the display from around the city which makes this a one-of-a-kind display. Whether you are at show-center at North Avenue Beach, in the Loop, at Wrigley Field, on a boat in Lake Michigan, or on one of the countless rooftops across the city, you can see and hear the displays from all across the city.

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The Obama Presidential Center becomes second presidential museum in Illinois

• Tourism
• Chicago
• Obama Presidential Center

After years of anticipation, and a momentous grand opening ceremony, the Obama Presidential Center officially opened its doors on Chicago’s South Side on June 19. This is the second presidential museum in Illinois, the first being the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.

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