State Rep. Charlie Meier confirmed the unveiling of the 2022 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow in a Facebook post on Wednesday. | Rep. Charlie Meier/Facebook
State Rep. Charlie Meier confirmed the unveiling of the 2022 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow in a Facebook post on Wednesday. | Rep. Charlie Meier/Facebook
State Rep. Charlie Meier confirmed the unveiling of the 2022 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
"The 2022 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow has been unveiled," Meier said in the post.
The butter cow, the unofficial mascot for the Fair, is hand carved from hundreds of pounds of butter. According to an article from the State Journal-Register, the first was made by sculptor J.D. Wallace.
The butter cow tradition began in the 1920s and was considered representative of the Roaring 20s. It is also intended as an honor to area dairy farmers. It often takes as many as five days to create the butter cow and designs strive to match the Fair's theme for that year.
The Illinois State Fair began Thursday with an evening dedicated to previews and will continue through Aug. 21.
Meier was elected to the Illinois House in 2013. A Republican, his legislative background consists of working on the Agriculture & Conservation and International Trade & Commerce committees. He lives in the Okawville area, according to the Illinois House.
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