By Addison Lee
LAST SATURDAY, SOMERVILLE HOSTED ITS 21ST ANNUAL “WHAT THE FLUFF FESTIVAL.” UNION SQUARE WAS PACKED WITH VENDORS SELLING EVERYTHING FROM MARSHMALLOW FLUFF SHAPED BATHROOM RUGS TO FLUFF-INFUSED CHACO TACOS.
THIS TRADITION STARTED AS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN UNION SQUARE MAIN STREETS AND SOMERVILLE ARTS & CULTURE DIVISION TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ARTISTS. ABIGAIL MCMURRAY, THE FOUNDER OF YEIOU PAPER OBJECTS, SHARED HOW SHE GOT INVOLVED IN THE EVENT.
“I’VE LIVED FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO FLUFF FEST IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, AND WHEN MY BUSINESS WAS AT A PLACE WHERE I COULD PARTICIPATE IN AN EVENT AT THIS SCALE, THEN I SIGNED UP AND WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ACCEPTED.”
WHILE SOME ATTENDIES QUEUED IN LINE FOR SWEET TREATS AND MERCHANDISE, OTHERS WATCHED THE DESIGNATED “SHENANIGANS STAGE,” WHERE VOLUNTEERS TOOK PART IN ACTIVITIES LIKE FLUFF JOUSTING AND FLUFF MUSICAL CHAIRS. ANOTHER STAGE HELD “FLUFF’N JAM” PREFORMANCES AND SPEECHES.
HAVING AN EVENT THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO AND GET INVOLVED WITH CAN HELP TIE A COMMUNITY CLOSER TOGETHER. PEOPLE FROM ALL AGE RANGES, SUCH AS HIGH SCHOOLERS FUNDRAISING FOR THEIR BAND OR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN GOING EVERY YEAR SINCE 2006, FIND A COMMON GROUND TO GATHER AND FOSTER CONNECTIONS.
