Forget Mount Rushmore: The Apollo 11 astronauts have been memorialized in butter at this year’s Ohio State Fair.
A series of sculptures carved from more than 2,200 pounds of butter capture the most memorable moments from the historic July 1969 space mission.
“Those who remember the Moon landing often recall exactly where they were and how they felt, and the 50th anniversary is the perfect time to pay tribute to this amazing event and share that excitement with a new generation,” Jenny Hubble, senior vice president of communications for the American Dairy Association (ADA) Mideast, said in a statement.
“Ohio also has a special connection to that day, as one of our own took the first-ever steps on the surface of the Moon,” she added.
Among the butter displays is a life-size sculpture of Neil Armstrong—a native of Wapokoneta, Ohio—standing next to the lunar module Eagle and saluting the American flag after planting it on the surface of Earth’s satellite.
Visitors can also see a butter sculpture of the entire spacecraft crew, including Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. As well as the traditional butter cow (“11”) and calf (“Apollo”).
Gov. Mike DeWine opened the 166th fair on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, after which he toured the fairgrounds.
The Republican governor even stopped by the annual butter display, presented by ADAMideast.
This year’s “out-of-this-world display” (their pun, not mine) is expected to attract more than 500,000 fairgoers, who can also invited to try locally produced dairy products like ice cream, milkshakes, cheese sandwiches, and milk.
You’d better get moo-ving if you want to see a trio of American heroes before they melt: The Ohio State Fair runs through Sunday, Aug. 4 at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds.
More on Geek.com:
- Apollo 11 Tapes Sold For $1.82M at Sotheby’s Auction
- 3 Astronauts Go To Space on Apollo 11’s 50th Anniversary
- Check Out These Cool Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Sneakers From Nike, Puma
- Apollo 11 at 50: Houston (And the World) Celebrate Historic Moon Landing
1. Annual butter display pays tribute to 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon landing
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)2. Full-scale models of entire Apollo 11 crew sculpted in butter
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)3. Ohio native Neil Armstrong salutes flag after planting it on Moon’s surface
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)4. Larger-than-life sculpture of official Apollo 11 patch
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)5. Lead sculptor Alex Balz chisels fine details on butter sculpture of astronaut Michael Collins
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)6. Traditional butter cow and calf are mainstays of annual butter display
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)7. Butter calf dons ear tag honoring 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)8. Matt Davidson sculpts American Dairy Association Mideast butter cow
(via American Dairy Association Mideast)
