The Cows Are Coming Home!

Old Sturbridge Village Teams up with World-Renowned CowParade and Regional Artists 

to Design an Udderly Moo-ving Experience 

Sturbridge, M.A., May, 19, 2025 - This summer, Old Sturbridge Village, New England’s premier living history museum, is partnering with CowParade, the world’s largest public art event, to bring history and imagination to life with more than two dozen, artistically decorated cows grazing the Village grounds.

The world-renowned cows, made of fiberglass and weighing 100-pounds, are being transformed by local artists into creative works of art that represent early New England life, America 250 and more. The exhibit will be unveiled to the public the weekend of June 21–22 and will run into September, culminating with a cattle auction to support the Museum’s non-profit educational programs.

In March, more than 130 New England artists responded to the Village’s call to create one-of-a-kind cow designs with over 261 submissions. Those chosen to go “on parade” range from revolutionary-inspired cows such as the “Bull of Rights” to more contemporary masterpieces like, “Salted,” which represents a giant stick of butter. The selected artists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and are now hard at work - painting, staining, and even knitting their imaginative creations to life.

“By welcoming the internationally known CowParade to Massachusetts, we hope to bring history to life in a creative and unexpected way,” said James Donahue, President and CEO of Old Sturbridge Village. “It is a wonderful opportunity to use Old Sturbridge Village as an open-air gallery to celebrate New England artists while offering visitors a truly unique experience.”

In addition to seeing the one-of-a-kind cows, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of cattle in early 19th-century New England, meet the Village’s heritage breed cows and oxen (including Devons, Shorthorns, and Randall Linebacks), and learn about the dairying process of the past.