“Along with culture comes tradition, and with tradition there are great respects and values that follow along,” said Sione Heimuli, an elderly man in attendance at Polyfest.

On August 28, 2015, a Polynesian event took place in north Salt Lake and was open to every individual in the Salt Lake Valley. It was entitled “Polyfest” and its main concern was to give the valley a taste of Polynesia through song, dance, and, most of all, food. It was the first ever Polynesian festival in the states and was an opportunity for individuals to receive a piece of Polynesia and learn more about their culture, traditions, and ways of life.

In attendance to the festival, there were numerous dance groups who were willing to do their share to show off the cultures of Polynesia. There were about six dance groups on each of the hosting days, which were August 28 and 29, and each dance crew had their own ways of expressing and sharing their cultural dances. As said by Jo Vaioleti, a performer of one of the dance groups, “It felt like you were experiencing every movement as if you were back in the islands.”