The 2022 Iowa State Fair has a butter cow created by sculptor Sarah Pratt each year. This time, the artist will be adding two special displays to the cooler at the Agriculture Building to join the 600-pound bovine.
One is the famed Ye Old Mill ride, known for being a nice place to cuddle, which turns 100 years old. While the original version of the ride burned down in a fire in 1996, it was immediately rebuilt on the same site with donations.
The other sculpture Pratt will do is to celebrate The Music Man. The musical was written by Iowan Meredith Wilson and was first produced on Broadway in 1957 before heading to the movies in 1962. The town depicted is based on Wilson’s hometown of Mason City. Currently, the musical is a Tony-winning revival on Broadway, starring Hugh Jackman, and it even has a couple of former Iowans in supporting roles.
All of the butter art will be on display during the John Deere Agriculture Building’s regular hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day of the Fair, which runs August 11-21.
