DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ANNUAL EVENTS
For the most current event lis ngs with confirmed dates, please visit the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism’s official website and event calendar at: www.GoDominicanRepublic.com/events.
ALL YEAR- ROUND
January– December Santo Domingo de Fiesta: A free outdoor show with Dominican folk dancers that begins at 8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday at the Plaza de España in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.
January– December Grupo Bonyé at the Colonial City: Free musical performances of merengue, jazz and son held every Sunday in the Ruinas de San Francisco, Santo Domingo Colonial City, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
JANUARY
January – March Whale Watching in Samaná: Watch around 1,500 whales that migrate to the waters of the Samaná Bay on a guided boat tour. The official whale-watching season runs from mid-January to March, but tours are available as long as whales are in the bay.
January Dominican Winter Professional Baseball: The Winter season kicks off with the last of the Dominican Professional Baseball games taking place all across the country, star ng in October. Upon the end of the season, the Caribbean Series features the champion teams of Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Venezuela. www.lidom.com
January 19 - 21 Caribbean Laser Midwinter Rega a: The Annual Caribbean Laser Midwinter Rega a kicks off the world’s Laser Rega a calendar every January in Cabarete, the Kiteboarding Capital of the World. This event a racts top sailors from around the world and is hosted by the Laser Training Center with the assistance of the Dominican Sailing Federa on. www.caribwind.com FEBRUARY
February Dominican Carnival: With origins da ng back to 1520, Dominican Carnival is a tradi on inherited from Spanish forefathers. Celebrated every Sunday of February, carnival parades and entertainment vary by city, among them Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Río San Juan, Bonao, Constanza, La Vega, Montecris , Samaná, Higüey, La Romana, San ago and Santo Domingo. La Vega is home to the most popular celebra on in Dominican Republic. www.cultura.gob.do
February Na onal Cra Fair: Local ar sts sell a varied selec on of Dominican handmade cra s at the Fortaleza Ozama in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo. www.cultura.gob.do
February 18 - 23 Fes val Procigar: More than 300 people from around the world gather at the Procigar Fes val in La Romana and San ago. The event includes a golf tournament, beach excursions, merengue classes, cigar workshops and more. www.procigar.org
February 24 Master of the Ocean Fes val: A beach event where you can enjoy a day of fun with the water sports legends in the Dominican Republic, who will ride the waves all day in the four disciplines of surfing, windsurfing, kite and SUP. At night, join us for a Cabarete style celebra on at our IndepenDance party in LAX, Cabarete Beach. www.mastero heocean.com
MARCH
March 3 Punta Cana Carnival: Visitors and locals alike celebrate the carnival at Boulevard November 1st in Puntacana Village every March. The annual parade features carnival groups from throughout the country, costumed characters and live performances. www.puntacana.com
March 4 Na onal Carnival Parade: Held along the Malecón of Santo Domingo, typical carnival characters from around Dominican Republic troop in colorful sync, crea ng an unforge able show. www.cultura.gob
March 16 Caribbean Cigar Night: With the country’s longstanding history of producing some of the finest cigars in the world, this event, held in Puerto Plata, a racts a wide audience to learn about and sample some of the most pres gious local and interna onal brands. The event also offers fine dining and live music. www.cigarnightpop.com March 19 - 25 PGA Tour 2018: The world’s foremost golf tour will be held in Corales Golf Club from March 19 to 25, 2018. The PGA Tour organizes more than 130 professional golf tours played around the world In addi on, it manages most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments on six tours: the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions (for golfers age 50 and older), Web.com Tour, the PGA Tour Canada (also known as the Mackenzie Tour), PGA Tour La no America and PGA Tour China. www.puntacana.com
March 20 Premios Soberanos: The main ar s c recogni on in the country that, since 1985, recognizes the best of the arts and culture in the Dominican Republic. Produced by the Associa on of Art Chroniclers (Acroarte) and the Cervecería Nacional Dominicana (CND). www.premiosoberano.com
APRIL
April 11-13 Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE): Dominican Republic’s Na onal Hotel & Tourism Associa on, ASONAHORES, hosts the country’s leading travel booking event at the Bávaro Conven on Center in Punta Cana. www.drdate.net
April 19 -30 Interna onal Book Fair: The fair is held at the Plaza de la Cultura in Santo Domingo. Writers, editors, speakers and experts par cipate in this event. www.cultura.gob.do
MAY
May 3 - 6 Taste Santo Domingo: The most complete gastronomic event in the country. Here you can enjoy many ac vi es like tas ngs, dinners, private events and awards as well as the exquisite cuisine that Dominican Republic offers. www.taste.do
JUNE
June 1 - 3 Expo Turismo San ago: Held at the Gran Almirante Conven on Center in San ago, this holiday fair involves airlines, cruise lines, tour operators and hotels that will offer a rac ve rates and tour packages, providing the public the opportunity to take advantage of special rates.
June 10 -19 100K del Caribe: A seven-day 100 km Caribbean marathon that spans from Cabarete to Samaná. The race will break into five stages between the towns of Sosúa (8 km), Puerto Plata (17.5 km), Cabarete, (18 km), Las Terrenas (44.5 km) and Samaná (12 km). www.100kmdelcaribe.com June 19 - 22 La n America Mee ng & Incen ves Travel Exchange 2018 (LAMITE): Is the only event in La n America that brings global travel suppliers to meet one-to- one with high volume, La n America-based MICE buyers in private, deluxe hotel rooms. This year the event will be hosted in Santo Domingo, featuring private one-to-one appointments, an educa onal component, and culturally immersive ac vi es and recep ons. Suppliers at the event will represent cruise lines, tour operators, des na on management companies and sought-a er incen ve des na ons, hotels, resorts and spas across the globe. www.la ntravelexchange.com
June 28 - 30 Caribbean Tourism Exchange (BTC): The BTC is held at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel & Casino in Santo Domingo and aims to market, promote and sell tourism products and services. www.btc.com.do
June Barbarella: One of the biggest electronic music events in the Dominican Republic, and it is presented by Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, which has had the commitment to do this kind of entertainment events for thousands of followers and consumers. www.barbarellabypresidente.com
JULY
July 5 - 7 Dominican Rum Fes val: First fes val designed to promote interna onally the products of the different rum houses of the Dominican Republic. It will be an exhibi on of rums, framed in a magical environment where producers will showcase the best products of the na onal industry to rum lovers and professionals from around the world. The fes val will include concerts, seminars, talks, workshops, tours, tas ngs, cocktails contests and gastronomic tas ngs.
July 16 – 22 The Susi Mai Invita onal: is a week-long kiteboarding compe on where top interna onal athletes will be going up against the strong local Dominican talent as part of a fes val celebra ng watersports and ocean awareness. www.susimai.com
July Punta Cana Food & Wine Fes val: A gastronomic fes val that combines high- end gastronomy with the Caribbean paradisiacal ambiance of Punta Cana.
AUGUST
August Verano Presidente: The Cervecería Nacional Dominicana celebrates summer with spice space where the audience will experience every weekend the most exci ng par es and surprises. Live musical performances, games, na onal and interna onal DJs, a special assembly, among other a rac ons. www.presidente.com.do August Merengue & Caribbean Rhythms Fes val: Plaza Juan Barón at Santo Domingo's Seaside Boulevard, El Malecón, hosts the Merengue & Caribbean Rhythms Fes val. The event features various styles of music including merengue, bachata, salsa, Caribbean rhythms, reggaeton, reggae and much more.
SEPTEMBER
September ASONAHORES Trade Show: The annual trade show, held in Punta Cana, promotes goods and services offered by local hotel and restaurant suppliers. The program also includes cooking contests, food tas ngs, auc ons, events, product launches and more. www.asonahores.com
September Palito Seco: A sailing compe on in the magnificent Bay of Barahona. Enjoy the sweet tropical winds and waves of the beau ful beaches of Barahona, in a spor ng and relaxed atmosphere. The categories that par cipate are Laser (Radial and Standard), Op mist, Sunfish, and Windsurfing and Paddle categories.
September 15 – 20 DR Golf Travel Exchange: Held at Secrets Cap Cana Resort & Spa in Punta Cana, the DR Golf Travel Exchange displays all facili es and advantages that Dominican Republic offers in golf tourism through its unique courses and workshops that allow the na onal hotel sector, interna onal tour operators, travel agents and trade press in different media to meet and connect. www.drgol ravel.com
OCTOBER
October 3 - 5 Discover Puerto Plata Marketplace: The annual event promotes Puerto Plata among the na onal and interna onal markets, highligh ng it as a complete and diversified Caribbean des na on with a wide variety of accommoda on op ons, excursions and tours. www.discoverpuertoplata.com
October – January Dominican Winter Professional Baseball: The Winter season kicks off with the Dominican Professional Baseball games taking place all across the country star ng in October. Upon the end of the season, the Caribbean Series features the champion teams of Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Venezuela. www.lidom.com
October Dominicana Moda: Dominican fashion is celebrated for one week in October. Top designers and brands showcase their seasonal lines in con nuous runway shows. The event will be held in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.
NOVEMBER November Santo Domingo Des no Capital: The event seeks to showcase the capital city as a contemporary and magnificent des na on for travelers, as well an excellent choice for mee ngs, incen ves, conven ons and events MICE segment. www.cometosantodomingo.com
November Puerto Plata Golf Classic: This event has quickly become a favorite for local golfers, as well as foreign players. It takes place at the Playa Dorada Golf Course, designed by the renowned Robert Trent Jones. www.ashonorte.com
November Dominican Republic Jazz Fes val: Annual cultural event held in Santo Domingo, Cabarete, Puerto Plata and San ago; a racts large audiences who come to hear the best from interna onal and na onal jazz musicians. www.drjazzfes val.com
November Colonial Fest: The Santo Domingo Colonial Fest (CFEST) is a celebra on to commemorate the culture, cuisine and history of the Dominican Republic, crea ng awareness and apprecia on of the Dominican authen city and idiosyncrasy. For more informa on www.colonialfest.org
DECEMBER
December 31 New Year’s Celebra on: A New Year’s celebra on is held on the Avenida del Puerto and the Malecón in Santo Domingo. Bands play merengue and fireworks are set off at midnight.
Media Contact Siren Communica ons Olivia Bru o 416-351-0777 olivia@sirencommunica ons.com