10 years of New York State Fair butter sculptures

The 55th annual New York State Fair butter sculpture was unveiled with much fanfare on Tuesday, one day before the Fair officially opened for its 13-day run.

This year’s sculpture — created in the form of a train carrying kids eating various dairy products — underscores the importance of dairy products to build strong bones and brains, according to the American Dairy Association North East.

The sculpture, residing inside a temperature-controlled case in the Dairy Products building at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, draws onlookers from all over New York, perhaps for the oddity of a piece of art sculpted from an every day food item. Butter sculptures are a tradition at several state fairs around the country, including in Texas, Illinois and Iowa, which has featured a butter cow at its fair for over 100 years.

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In case you missed some of the New York State Fair’s butter sculptures in the recent past, here’s a walk down memory lane.