Inside a chilled glass case at the Iowa State Fair stands a cow that never moves or moos. It is made from about 600 pounds of butter.
The first official state fair was held in Syracuse, New York, in 1841. These gatherings originally gave visitors a chance to see livestock and farming equipment. Over time, however, many fairs grew into huge celebrations filled with unusual contests, strange foods, and traditions found nowhere else.
Iowa's butter cow is one of the best-known examples. The first was created in 1911, and only five sculptors have carried on the delicate craft since then. Each cow begins with a frame made of wood, metal, wire, and steel mesh. The artist then covers it with thick layers of butter inside a cold room. The finished sculpture is about five and a half feet tall and eight feet long. After the fair, much of the butter is stored and used again the following year.
Colorado gives a much smaller object its moment in the spotlight. At the Colorado State Fair, decorated "pet rocks" compete in categories such as best dressed. Another contest measures how far their owners can roll them. The events are divided by age, so competitors of different ages can take their carefully decorated stones surprisingly seriously.
Iowa also hosts a husband-calling contest. It recalls a time when wives called their husbands home from the fields for dinner. Today, participants stand onstage and shout their husbands' names through megaphones. The performance draws a crowd, although the winner receives a prize of only $5.
At several other fairs, the models have four legs and thick coats of wool. Llama and alpaca owners dress their animals in elaborate costumes and lead them before judges. The contests can include llamas in Hawaiian shirts, bow ties, and other very human accessories. Preparing for the event also gives the animals useful training in following directions and remaining calm.
North Dakota offers a much messier kind of competition. One relay race sends participants through challenges that may include carrying greased watermelons, eating whipped-cream pies, and quickly drinking fizzy beverages. Speed matters, but staying clean is nearly impossible.
Food traditions may be the strangest part of all. State fairs are famous for taking ordinary ingredients and frying, wrapping, or combining them in unexpected ways. New Mexico even challenges cooks to invent dishes that sound odd but still taste good.
Recent winners have included sweet-and-spicy fries and a green-chile cheeseburger served with Belgian waffles. Another prizewinning creation covered a corn dog with bacon, fried cheese, and green chile. These combinations may seem unlikely, but surprising visitors is part of the fun.
State fairs began as practical agricultural exhibitions, yet their strangest customs have become some of their biggest attractions. A butter cow, a costumed llama, or a carefully dressed rock gives people something they cannot see every day. At these fairs, being unusual is not a problem. It is part of the tradition.