Armstrong and astronauts carved out of butter at 2019 Ohio State Fair

One small step for man, one giant leap for butter sculptors.

The 2019 Ohio State Fair, which opens Wednesday, is paying tribute to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and 50th anniversary of the moon landing by carving them into butter in a chilled diorama at the fairgrounds.

The life-size sculptures, which stand next to life-size butter-carved cow and calf, are made from more than 2,200 pounds of butter. Butter Armstrong is posed next to the lunar module Eagle and saluting a butter-made American flag.

Related: Ohio increases funds for amusement ride safety inspections

The first butter cow and calf sculpture at the state fair was in 1903. The carvings are done by a team of artists, working in 45-degree Fahrenheit cooler. Typically 500,000 visitors see the carvings over the course of the fair.

Previous butter tributes have been made to honor Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Olympics, Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, golfer Jack Nicklaus, and former Mercury astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn.

The butter used in the display is recycled after the fair.

About the Author