News : Call for Entries: Iowa State Fair Searches for Best Butter Sculptors

In celebration of 100 years of the Butter Cow, the Iowa State Fair is hosting the 2011 Battle of the Butter. The contest will give participants the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try one of the Iowa State Fair's oldest art forms: butter sculpting.

The Battle of the Butter will be held daily at 4 p.m. on the Fair's Anne and Bill Riley Stage. Teams of two to four people will have 30 minutes to create a butter masterpiece from a 55 lb. block of butter. Three teams will be selected to participate each day. Participation will be assigned by application postmark and design submitted.

Applications and complete rules are available online at iowastatefair.org. Applications are due July 15. Selected teams will be notified by July 30.

Each first place team will receive $100 in cash, and their winning sculpture will be displayed alongside the world famous Butter Cow in the John Deere Agriculture Building. First through third place teams will also receive commemorative Butter Cow rosettes.

The butter sculptures will be judged on originality, creativeness and use of butter. Participants will be given the sculpting tools necessary to create their butter monument. This "anything goes" contest will allow participants to add to their sculpture any materials or colors that they supply.

Battle of the Butter is sponsored by AMPI.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2011 Iowa State Fair, celebrating 100 years of the Butter Cow August 11-21. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit www.iowastatefair.org.