Lynda Manganello, who drove an hour from New Hampshire to Somerville’s sixth annual Fluff Festival, sat in Union Square wearing a massive “fluffernutter” sandwich hat.
Somerville, the birthplace of the 1917 invention of marshmallow fluff, held a local street festival on Saturday in honor of the sticky concoction sponsored by the Somerville Arts Council, the Mass. Cultural Council and the City of Somerville.
“This is our third year coming to the fluff festival,” Manganello said. “I just like coming and seeing all the people, and, you know, it’s a nice New England thing to do.”
Musicians from Somerville High School shouted “Fluffernutters, two dollars!” in the streets while the Pharaoh of Fluff – an honorable position bestowed upon the winner of each year’s special contest – walked around.
Jen Manganello, also dressed in Fluff with large balls of cotton, came to support her husband, Dave Manganello, who is this year’s Pharaoh of Fluff.
Her husband, who won last year’s speech contest dressed as a Whoopie “Pie”rate, helped out with the festival, walked around taking pictures and voted for this year’s Pharaoh of Fluff.
Former Pharoah of Fluff Kristina Smarc walked around in a red dress and golden crown and greeted festivalgoers. Smarc lives in Somerville and has attended the festival every year, she said.
Along the closed streets, local vendors sold all sorts of goods, but with a twist of Fluff.
Kickass Cupcakes sold graham cracker cupcakes with Fluff filling and Mama Gina’s Pizza offered Fluff S’mores pizza. Fluff fanatics could also try a free “Fluff Fear Factor”— a cracker with Fluff and peanut butter, salsa, BBQ sauce and other toppings.
Hannah Pelletier tried an Octoberfest beer with “Flufflemousse,” a malted Fluff topping.
“It’s pretty good, it’s definitely interesting,” Pelletier, who grew up eating Fluff, said.
Other stands also offered marshmallow goodies as well. Home Baked Bliss offered whoopie pies, the “S’mores Code” team sold s’mores and everywhere there were jars of Fluff.
A roller derby team called the Boston Derby Dames also made an appearance with a fluffernutter relay race, rolling to a table to make peanut butter and Fluff sandwiches.
Although it offered a variety of activities and foods, the festival was not as exciting for some BU students who traveled a good distance with greater expectations.
“There was, like, two things that were about Fluff and you had to pay for them,” said College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Sarah Brumfield. “And everything else was just like a normal street festival.”
College of Engineering sophomore Madeline Speer said the festival was average.
“It was kind of small and took forever to get there,” she said. “Also, they didn’t give out free Fluff like I thought they would. They gave out weird Fluff with hot sauce on it but that was gross.”
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