Nutella Fest serves up musical diversity

For 12 hours Saturday, the Collins LLC Coffehouse was filled with music and chocolate-hazelnut spread. This year’s Nutella Fest, however, was about more than just appreciating the sweet treats and tunes.

Wyatt Jackson, a junior and vice president of programming for the Residential Hall Association, said Nutella Fest was a celebration of diverse music and entertainment.

Although music was largely the aim of the event, Nutella was available for the masses throughout the festival. The use of the name “Nutella” as part of the event’s label was based on the common interest of students and the organizers’ hope to attract those students, Jackson explained.

In the Cheshire Cafe of Collins, there were tables set up with Nutella and potential food items to place Nutella on or in.

“We had practically any and everything that you can put Nutella on,” said Laura Persico, advisor of the RHA Programming Board.

Persico said available food included s’mores, fruits, cookies and chips. Those in attendance said they were were eager to take a taste, and the food needed to be replenished three hours into the festival.

Li Pietruszka, the Collins representative for the RHA Programming Board, estimated that about 300 to 400 people attended this year’s event.

“We had Nutella Fest last year, but we wanted the entire campus to be able to enjoy it (this year),” Pietruszka said.

She said Nutella Fest was originally just a Collins event. The RHA Board, however, decided to make the event more widespread for the entire campus this year.

Jackson said it was an attempt to reach out to the entire campus and expose all students to different styles of music. He said it was more of a “cultural thing.”

Musicians, such as Anti-Swag Fiend Party, Sleeping Bag, Rodeo Ruby Love and duo Brice Fox and Daniel Weber, performed at this year’s event, drawing crowds of different types of fans to the event, which was part of the initiative in organizing this year’s fest.

“I picked bands that offered diverse performances,” said Kevin Tanner, a sophomore RHA board member who planned the musical performances.

Tanner said although some bands dropped out, he still tried to maintain the draw of a diverse set of performances.

The music of Nutella Fest drew the attention of WIUX and students from across the IU campus.

Piestruszka said, as an RHA board member, she was required to stay throughout the entire event. Last year, she attended the affair loosely and would leave at will. She said she was able to get to fully enjoy the different bands in attendance this year since she stayed the entire time.

“(Nutella Fest) consists of treats for your ears and for your mouth,” Pietruszka said.