By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD — State officials ushered in the start of the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday with the annual unveiling of the butter cow. The cow – the 104th in state history – will remain on display in the Dairy Building throughout the fair. Gates will officially open at 7 a.m. Thursday, with the annual Twilight Parade scheduled for 5: 30 p.m. later that day. You can follow the State Fair on Facebook, X and Instagram, or find more on the State Fair website, which is also home to a butter cow livestream. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide.