Nutella fest brings sweets, music to Collins LLC

Sophomore Emilce Sanchez spooned a gob of Nutella onto a slice of bread and tasted it for the first time.

“Bread and Nutella is a surprisingly tasty combo,” she said. “It just tastes like chocolate.”

All around the Collins courtyard, amongst construction and live music, students such as Sanchez celebrated the cocoa-hazelnut spread at the third annual Nutella Fest .

All day, drippy spoonfuls of Nutella were smothered onto ice cream and slices of bread.

Fifteen performers and musicians, from crumpers to bellydancers, performed from 1 p.m. until midnight. Students enjoyed bands from the Collins veranda in the midst of a clear, 80 degree day.

Musicians including Chicago’s Lord of the Yum Yum and local band The Vallures gave students a chance to dance.

“Lord of the Yum Yum was pretty awesome and a little crazy,” freshman Steve Ambrosini said. 

Nutella Fest was created to combine senior and IDS employee Ted Somerville’s love of Nutella with his love of diverse, talented musicians.

Despite losing four bands the day of Nutella Fest, Somerville said he considered the festival a success.

“This year has been a much greater challenge,” he said. “All of the groups really stepped it up, and I appreciate it.”

This was the biggest Nutella Fest Somerville has helped organize, with 300 to 400 students coming and going throughout the day.

“I went to the first Nutella Fest, and it’s so funny to see how much it has grown,” freshman and Bloomington resident Alice Knipstine said. “It used to be a bunch of people around a table eating Nutella.”

Although this is Somerville’s last year on campus to help organize the event, Director of Arts and Culture for the Residence Hall Association Marianna Eble, who organized the event alongside Somerville, remains confident the event will continue as long as the ambition is there.

“As long as you’re working with someone who appreciates music and wants to put it out there for people to enjoy, you’re going to have a good show,” she said. “It’s that ambition that makes Nutella Fest.”