Despite triple-digit heat, hundreds of people gathered at Kleiner Park in Meridian Saturday for the annual Idaho Island Festival.Organizers say this years event was the biggest yet, bringing together families and neighbors to ce lebrate Pacific Islander cultures through food, music, dance, language and tradition. WATCH | Idaho Island Festival celebrates Pacific Islander culture Idaho Island Festival celebrates Pacific Islander culture in MeridianWe do this the last Saturday of July every year, and our goal is to educate and perpetuate our cultures and share with our Idaho community, said Jennifer Ahyou, one of the nonprofit founders.The festival featured cultural performances, music throughout the day, and food and vendors representing Pacific Islander communities.The celebration also gave attendees a chance to learn about traditions and languages that were once suppressed.The event continued into the evening with live entertainment, culminating in a fire knife dance performance.For organizers, the festival is about more than a single day of celebration. They say it is also about preserving cultural traditions and passing them on to the next generation while sharing them with the broader Idaho community.The Idaho Island Festival is held annually on the last Saturday of July at Kleiner Park in Meridian. ...read more read less