Butter Crown for a Dairy Princess

August 31, 2025

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At the Minnesota State Fair, a block of butter was turned into a royal portrait.

Malorie Thorson of Waverly, Minnesota, was crowned the 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Her first official duty was to sit bundled up in a glass booth while sculptor Gerry Kulzer carved her head out of 41 kilograms of butter.

This tradition has taken place for more than 60 years and celebrates Minnesota’s 1,800 dairy farm families. Fair visitors lined up to watch as Thorson’s face slowly appeared in butter form. Even though it was nearly 27°C outside, Thorson was dressed for winter to stay warm in the 4°C carving booth.

Other states have their own butter traditions. The Iowa State Fair is famous for its life-sized Butter Cow, which has been around for over 100 years. This year, New York’s butter sculpture honored the 125th anniversary of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a 410-kilogram design.

In Minnesota, all ten dairy princess finalists receive butter busts. After the fair, each gets to take their sculpture home, along with leftover butter scraps. Some families save the sculptures in freezers, while others spread the butter on food like corn on the cob.

Article written by Milli Banbury

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research and writing.

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Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

After a three-day camp in the Tararua Range, Ben wrote in his diary that the first day was the hardest because of the long walk uphill and the heavy packs. By the second day, his group worked better together when setting up tents and cooking meals. He said the night walk was memorable because the bush sounded different in the dark. On the final morning, everyone was tired but proud. Ben concluded that the camp was challenging, yet it helped the class become more confident and cooperative.

Which is the best summary of Ben’s diary entry?

The camp was difficult at first, but it helped Ben’s class work together and gain confidence. Ben’s group struggled with heavy packs, enjoyed a night walk, and ate meals together at camp. Three days in the Tararua Range left everyone tired, but the tents were set up successfully. Ben thought the night walk was the best part because the bush sounded different in the dark.