Community members gathered in Union Square for the 19th annual What the Fluff? Festival Sept. 21, a celebration honoring the creation of Marshmallow Fluff in Somerville back in 1917.
Despite the gloomy weather throughout the day, thousands of people poured down Somerville Avenue watching performances, playing Fluff-themed games and eating Fluff-inspired food from community vendors.
“I think it’s great that the people are out and, even though it’s raining, Fluff is so important to the people of Somerville that they’re going to show up for it,” said Max Evrard, a music teacher at Somerville High School.
Evrard and the Somerville High School Music Department had their own food vendor tent selling classic Fluffernutter sandwiches to raise money for the music program. He said they had a line “out the door” as soon as the festival began, underscoring the community aspect of the event.
“It’s been tradition in the department — since I’ve been here … we’ve been selling Fluffernutters,” Evrard said. “It’s a tradition that we’ve had for years and we’re just continuing it here.”
The festival was organized by Union Square Main Streets and the Somerville Arts Council. Union Square Main Streets, a nonprofit organization, works to preserve the character of Union Square and bolster the business district and community. Together with the Somerville Arts Council, they enhance both the culture and local business in Union Square through the ArtsUnion initiative. The Fluff Festival is one of its signature events.
This year, the event featured an all-new Marshmallow Fluff Micro-Museum in Bow Market, which opened Sept. 19.
The 163-square-foot museum contains a handful of exhibits: Fluff fast-facts, Fluff fan art, a Fluff screen printing station and a tiny gift shop complete with Fluff-themed stickers, mugs and other trinkets. Attendees patiently waited their turn to step into the creative, colorful space.
The pop-up was created by Sarah Dudek, a local artist and owner of Indestructible Food, who welcomed guests one by one, helping them screen print their own complementary souvenirs to take home.
Dudek was approached by festival organizers about creating the pop-up, and started a Kickstarter page that raised over $10,000 for the project. A self-proclaimed food fanatic, she finds Fluff particularly inspiring.
“I love that it is a food that belongs to the region and that people feel proud of,” she said.
The festival theme this year, “Somerville Over the Rainbow: No Place Like Fluff,” brought a “Wizard of Oz” twist. Residents were encouraged to wear bright, multi-colored attire such as their shinist ruby slippers. Advertisements also asked attendees to bring along the entire entourage to follow the yellow brick road — Toto included.
Somerville residents Yahaira Rodriguez and Kevin Leal perused the streets with their dog Max, who donned a bright blue raincoat with yellow rubber ducks, complete with a golden, wagging tail.
The two saw the festival promoted on Instagram and decided to check it out after seeing some of the “Fluffalicious” treats advertised. From Fluff chocolate chip cookie empanadas to pumpkin beer with Fluff, the creativity was endless, merging the time-honored treat with a wide variety of foods typically found in Union Square.
Attendee Nicole Davis, who works at the Boston University Children’s Center, came with her friends and said they enjoyed the free games, including Fluff bowling and Fluff ring toss. The group also watched some of the performances on stage and, of course, indulged in Fluff-themed treats.
“I like how nostalgic it is,” Davis said. “It reminds me of my childhood. It’s such a unique thing to come together for.”
Somerville resident Archibald Query invented Marshmallow Fluff in 1917 using four simple ingredients: sugar, egg whites, corn syrup and vanilla. He made the treat in his own kitchen and marketed it locally, but following World War I, he sold the formula to veterans Harold Allen Durkee and Fred L. Mower in favor of other pursuits. After increased advertising and retail trade, the product transformed to the classic Marshmallow Fluff so many people enjoy today.
Query is a key figure at the festival’s revelry, with long-time community member Michael Katz leading the festivities impersonating the inventor himself.
“I have the incredible honor of playing Archibald Query, who invented Fluff,” Katz said. “I get to run the Shenanigans Stage. People who know me know that that’s not unusual.”
The proclaimed Shenanigans Stage featured a schedule of events throughout the day, complete with audience participation. From a marshmallow toss to Fluff musical chairs, attendees both young and old took to the stage to have some sticky fun.
Katz has been deeply involved with the festival since its origin in 2006. He is on the board of Union Square Main Streets, where he works to build the relationship between small businesses and the community.
“This is the 19th festival and this is my 19th year playing Archibald,” he said.
He recalled how the first year of the festival welcomed just 150 people, and the Fluff-themed fun was nowhere near as extravagant as it is now known to be. Compared to the 20,000 estimated attendees in recent years, the event has grown exponentially since its start.
“We started doing it because it was a way to help look at the good things that were going on in Union Square,” Katz said. “Things have changed a lot. Union Square was pretty gritty.”
The Fluff Festival is now a celebration known and attended by residents across the region.
High spirits and joy were certainly a constant throughout the day and most residents went home with one thought in mind: There’s no place (or food) like Fluff.
While the festival is a one-day event, Dudek will continue to run the micro-museum until Sept. 30, welcoming visitors and creating Fluff prints for each and every guest. The cheer from the festival will certainly linger.
“What a wonderful day it’s been today,” Dudek said. “It’s been really crowded and everyone has had such a good attitude. I love this event because it really brings the community together.”
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