By Lauren DiTullio, News Correspondent

From a cooking contest and a Marshmallow Fluff-themed poetry slam to locals walking around with inverted Fluff containers on their heads, fans celebrated Fluff with new twists at the fourth annual ‘What the Fluff?’ festival in Somerville’s Union Square Saturday.
The celebration of Fluff honored a Somerville creation, which was first introduced by inventor Archibald Query in 1917. The square was tightly packed with people and their pets, many of whom (yes, even the pets) were wearing What the Fluff? T-shirts and munching on Fluff-covered muffins, Fluff-topped toast, Fluff-and-chocolate desserts, Fluff-filled pastries and more.
Half of the square was set up as a carnival. A popular game was ‘Fluff, Knife, Bread,’ which is a modified ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors.’ Among the best-attended games was What’s With Your Fluff? a lottery-style game in which players drew a number and based on the number they drew, would be forced to eat Fluff paired with another food, which included cocoa puffs, clams, bananas, wasabi and Spam.
Many non-Fluff-oriented booths sold souvenirs, jewelry and other novelties. Among these tables were vendors of the classic Fluffernutter sandwich, which is a mix of Fluff and peanut butter. The sandwiches were $1 each, and the proceeds went to benefit the Somerville High School orchestra and chorus.
Event founder Mimi Graney said the festival has doubled in attendance each year since its advent four years ago. She attributes the event’s popularity to Fluff’s multigenerational appeal.
‘We were shocked by the success of the first one,’ she said. ‘But people just love Fluff! I think it’s because it reminds everyone of their own childhood.’
Graney, who works for ArtsUnion, the group which organized the festival, said that ArtsUnion works to economically develop the area surrounding Union Square. They receive funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to create programs to stimulate tourism.
This tradition has both historical and political roots. When Graney first conceived the idea, Fluff happened to be receiving some negative political attention, she said. A bill had been proposed to limit the number of times a week that Fluffernutters could be served in school cafeterias, complaints from Massachusetts parents regarding their unhealthiness. Thus, the first What the Fluff? festival was accidental Fluff advocacy, she said.
Technical Director of Theater Arts at MIT Mike Katz volunteered at What the Fluff? and said the event is a ‘community celebration.’ Rather than corporate vendors, the festival is coordinated and supplied by volunteers, he said. He also said that many local organizations use What the Fluff? for fundraising and promotion.
‘We’ve got this great town here,’ he said. ‘And this really shows it off.’
Businesses in Union Square also take advantage of the opportunity created by What the Fluff?
Sandra Fails, proprietor of the antique shop Hope & Glory Vintage of Somerville, said the festival is ‘an awesome boost for business.’ Her store offered a discount in honor of the festival, she said.
Attendees, such as freshman communication studies major Amy Henion, said they enjoyed the event. She said that she liked the Fluffernutters for $1 and the ‘unique and creative’ games.
‘I would certainly go back, because the events were fun and there was a friendly atmosphere,’ she said, ‘Only next time, I’d buy a T-shirt.’