The snack food that made peanut butter worth eating and hot cocoa even more delicious is turning 100 years old. Marshmallow Fluff was invented by confectioner, Archibald Query of Somerville, MA in 1917. This Saturday his hometown will honor him with the 11th annual “What the Fluff?” Festival.
Since it is the treat’s centennial year, the festival is expected to be even more epic. Somerville’s Union Square will be packed with musicians, vendors, and of course, an Archibald Query impersonator to emcee the day’s events. Attendees can participate in delightfully sticky games of “Fluff Jousting” and “Fluff Musical Chairs.”
The event will feature an amateur cooking contest and a wide array of Fluff-based concoctions to sample from your favorite local restaurants. Particularly adventurous guests can sign up for the Fluff Hair-Do event. Hopefully there’s an organic concoction known to get Marshmallow creme out of human hair!
Jon Durkee of Durkee-Mower Inc., the manufacturer of Fluff since 1920, said that Fluff’s enduring fame is connected to its nostalgia for those of us who enjoyed it as an after-school treat during our New England upbringings.
“Fluff has stayed the test of time, I think, because so many people relate it to happy childhood memories.”
Kids who grew up in Massachusetts – at least before carbs became a big deal – likely enjoyed the Fluffernutter as a major staple of their diets. It was also great on ice cream or stuffed in the middle of a big, fat whoopie pie. But did you know that it’s hard to get your hands on the sticky whipped deliciousness that is Marshmallow Fluff outside of New England?
Displaced Fluff fans across the country have resorted to satisfying their Fluff fix online. The sugary indulgence can be purchased via the company website and shipped to you wherever you call home. The site also offers the handy Fluff Finder app. Just click on your state and they’ll tell you which, if any, of your local grocers carry it.
Lucky enough to be in the Somerville vicinity this Saturday? Swing by the “What the Fluff?” festival and help this New England staple celebrate its centennial birthday! You certainly won’t be the only one – the event has drawn up to 10,000 visitors in past years.
Featured Image via Instagram/HoneyMoonReusables