Spoiler Alert: Don’t click unless you want to see the 2024 NYS Fair butter sculpture (photos)

Geddes, N.Y. — Somehow Jim Victor and Marie Pelton locked the door of a glass refrigerator for 11 days and kept their secret hidden inside.

At 9:45 a.m. today, they shared that mystery with everyone by unveiling the 2024 NYS Fair Butter Sculpture.

This year’s work of dairy art depicts a family having a picnic by the river on one side and a dairy farmer planting a tree on the other side.

It’s titled “Dairy: Good for you. Good for the planet.”

NYS Fair Butter Sculpture 2024Charlie Miller

This is the 22nd year that Victor and Pelton worked day and night inside the chilly display case turning more than 800 pounds of butter into a work of art with a specific theme. That’s enough butter to melt on 76,800 pancakes.

The 56th annual American Dairy Association North East butter sculpture, one of Central New York’s best-kept secrets every year, was finally unveiled around 10 a.m.

We broadcast the unveiling live on syracuse.com’s Facebook page. You can watch the video here:

“Jim and I love coming back to Syracuse to do the New York State Fair,” Pelton said. “It’s a time-honored tradition.”

The butter used for the sculpture comes from O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia. After being shown off during the Fair’s 13-day run, the butter will return to Western New York where it will be recycled into renewable energy at Noblehurst Farms in Pavilion.

Last year’s butter sculpture was “Dairy Every Day is a Healthy Way — Keeping Kids’ Health on Track.” It depicted children riding on a “New York State Express” train.

We looked back at the most memorable NYS Fair butter sculptures through the years, from the butter lady bathing in a tub of milk, to a butter baseball star Darryl Strawberry.

The State Fair opens at 9 a.m. Wednesday and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 2.

NYS Fair butter sculpture 2024 — The butter sculpture at this year's New York State Fair is "Dairy: Good for you Good for the planet." (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)

Butter sculptures through the years:

1969: Cow Jumping Over the Moon (William Clements)
1970: Dairy Princess and Butter Churn (William Clements)
1971: Commissioner of Agriculture and Cow (William Clements)
1972: Lifeguard and Girl (William Clements)
1973: Dairy Princess Coronation (William Clements)
1974: Carousel (William Clements)
1975: Juggler (William Clements)
1976: Little Miss Muffet (William Clements)
1977: The Magic Cow (William Clements)
1978: Kids on Skateboards (William Clements)
1979: Disco Dancers (William Clements)
1980: Milk Run Marathoners (William Clements)
1981: The “Real” Seal (William Clements)
1982: Dairy Do-Si-Do (William Clements)
1983: The Fitness Cycle (William Clements)
1984: Milk Bottle Centennial (William Clements)
1985: Soccer Player (William Clements)
1986: Darryl Strawberry (William Clements)
1987: Tom Sawyer (Raymond Mackintosh)
1988: Cow Jumping Over the Moon (Raymond Mackintosh)
1989: Wizard of Oz (Raymond Mackintosh)
1990: Original Fair Arch (Raymond Mackintosh)
1991: Boy with Double Dip Cone (Raymond Mackintosh)
1992: The Olympic Dream (Raymond Mackintosh)
1993: Kids from Camp Good Days & Special Times (Raymond Mackintosh)
1994: Pizza Tosser (Raymond Mackintosh)
1995: Everybody Loves Milk & Cookies (Duke Epolito)
1996: Everything’s Better With Butter (Sharon BuMann)
1997: The Ultimate “got milk” Moment (Sharon BuMann)
1998: Milk Memories (Sharon BuMann)
1999: Midnight Snacking (Sharon BuMann)
2000: Little Rascals (Sharon BuMann)
2001: Milk Maid: Queen for a Day (Sharon BuMann)
2002: The Pride of New York (Sharon BuMann)
2003: Mixin’ It With Milk (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2004: Love for the Land (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2005: Milk, Moms and Morning (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2006: Healthy Goals (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2007: Dairy Farming Today (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2008: Cow Jumping Over the Moon (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2009: Cow Power (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2010: Dairyville 2020 (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2011: Feeding Our Future (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2012: New York Goes for the Gold with Greek Yogurt (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2013: Getting Fresh with Local Dairy (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2014: The Great American Milk Drive (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2015: Thanks for the Milk, Moo York! (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2016: Milk Life Celebrates The Success of Team USA and the Athletes of New York State (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2017: Dairy Farmers’ Tribute to New York State Troopers (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2018: Your Milk Comes From A Good Place (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2019: Milk. Love What’s Real (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2020: Nourishing Our Future (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2021: Back to School, Sports and Play … You’re Gonna Need Milk for That (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2022: Refuel Her Greatness—Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2023: Dairy Every Day is a Healthy Way — Keeping Kids’ Health on Track (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)
2024: Dairy: Good for you. Good for the planet. (Jim Victor and Marie Pelton)

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Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drinks and fun across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. (AND he pays for what he and his guests eat and drink, just so you know.) You can also find him under @HoosierCuse on Twitter and on Instagram. Sign up for his weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here.