Every nerdy little part of me loves this!  It’s the 50th Anniversary of “Star Trek,” a franchise that has changed the face of television and film, so the Iowa State Fair is celebrating.  The legendary Butter Cow will be joined by the crew of the Enterprise in her cold case at the Ag Building.

Just a note on “Star Trek” if you do not know about the sci-fi series:

The original series broke ground when it aired in the 1960’s.  Stumbling in the ratings at first, it ended up highly popular.  It was only cancelled because of a cranky TV exec that didn’t really like the agenda it promoted – toleration and inclusion.  I mean, an episode featured the first interracial kiss on TV (oh, my)!

Fans never let go though. They ended up forcing the production of a series of movies with the original cast, followed by more TV series with diverse casts, just like the original, and stories that made you think.  Today “Star Trek” continues its journey with a rebooted set of movies – they feature an alternative timeline – and CBS is launching a new series online and on Netflix this fall.  So, basically, “Star Trek” is a huge, multi-generational, touchstone, and that’s why sculptor Sarah Pratt and the Iowa State Fair chose it.

Oh, and Captain Kirk of the Enterprise?  He’s an Iowan!  That’s right, he’s from Riverside, Iowa.  They even have an annual Trek Fest.  And yes, I have been!  (BTW, it’s already done for the year.)

Live Long and Prosper, Kate

50th Anniversary of Star Trek Celebrated in Butter at the 2016 Iowa State Fair