365 days of celebration
24 Dominican festivals and events, mapped by month and region, from carnival parades and merengue nights to Semana Santa and quiet village fiestas.
Bayahibe Fishing Tournament
Annual deep-sea fishing tournament in Bayahibe, attracting sport fishermen from across the Caribbean to compete for catches of marlin, mahi-mahi, and wahoo.
Explore event →Cabarete Carnival
Cabarete's beach-town carnival celebration combining Dominican carnival traditions with the town's international surf culture.
Explore event →Cabarete Kite Festival (Master of the Ocean)
International multi-sport competition combining surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddleboarding and wingfoiling at Cabarete's legendary Kite Beach.
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Carnival of La Vega
The largest and most famous carnival celebration in the Dominican Republic, featuring elaborate devil masks (Diablos Cojuelos) and color-filled parades every Sunday in February.
Explore event →Carnival of Santiago
Santiago's famous carnival featuring the Lechones, costumed characters with elaborate spiked masks representing good and evil.
Explore event →Constanza Harvest Festival (Festival de la Cosecha)
Free multi-day harvest festival (Festival de la Cosecha) at Constanza's domestic airport, celebrating flowers, strawberries, and cool-climate produce.
Explore event →Día de la Virgen de la Altagracia
The feast day of the Dominican Republic's patron saint, celebrated with pilgrimages to the Basílica de Higüey and religious festivities across the country.
Explore event →Dominican Independence Day
National holiday celebrating Dominican independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844, with patriotic celebrations, parades, and cultural events across the country.
Explore event →Dominican Republic Jazz Festival
Free world-class jazz festival on Cabarete Beach, featuring international and Dominican jazz musicians performing under the stars.
Explore event →Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM)
The Dominican Republic's professional winter baseball league, featuring future and former MLB stars in a passionate atmosphere from October through January.
Explore event →Festival Nacional del Cacao y del Chocolate
National cacao and chocolate festival in San Francisco de Macorís, the heart of Dominican cacao country, with producer stands and tastings. Dates vary by year.
Explore event →Festival of the Holy Spirit (Fiesta del Espíritu Santo)
Afro-Dominican celebration honoring the Holy Spirit through traditional palos drumming, dancing, and spiritual ceremonies, primarily in Villa Mella and San Cristóbal.
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Festival Presidente de Música Latina
The Dominican Republic's biggest ticketed music festival returns on December 11-12, 2026 at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, its first edition since 2017, with Katy Perry making her first appearance in the country.
Explore event →Fiestas Patronales (Patron Saint Festivals)
Every Dominican town celebrates its patron saint with week-long festivals featuring music, dancing, food, carnivals, and religious processions throughout the year.
Explore event →Merengue Festival
Annual celebration of merengue music on Santo Domingo's Malecón, featuring free concerts, dancing, and the best merengue artists in the country.
Explore event →Noche Larga de los Museos (Long Night of Museums)
Annual nighttime arts event when Santo Domingo's museums, galleries, and cultural spaces open their doors for free with special exhibits, performances, and street art.
Explore event →Puerto Plata Merengue Festival
The North Coast's premier merengue celebration along Puerto Plata's Malecón, with free concerts, local food, and ocean views.
Explore event →Punta Cana Culinary Weekend
Chef-driven culinary weekend at Puntacana Resort and Club, with guest-chef dinners and tastings. It replaced the discontinued Punta Cana Food & Wine Festival.
Explore event →Restoration Day (Día de la Restauración)
National holiday on August 16 commemorating the Dominican War of Restoration against Spanish occupation, with celebrations centered in Santiago.
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Santo Domingo Bachata Festival
Five-day bachata dance festival in Santo Domingo, 9 to 13 December 2026, organised by Los Bonitillos, with workshops, social dance parties, and live concerts.
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Santo Domingo Carnival
The capital's grand carnival celebration along the Malecón, featuring the national parade with groups from every province of the Dominican Republic.
Explore event →Semana Santa (Holy Week)
The most important religious observance in the Dominican Republic, featuring processions, beach pilgrimages, and dramatic reenactments across the country.
Explore event →Turtle Nesting Season
Endangered sea turtles nest on Dominican beaches each year; guided night-watching tours run April to June at Jaragua National Park, peaking with May leatherbacks.
Explore event →Whale Watching Season
Thousands of humpback whales migrate to the warm waters of Samaná Bay every winter to mate and give birth, creating one of the world's best whale-watching experiences.
Explore event →Time your trip to carnival or merengue season
Carnival in February, merengue in the streets all summer, Semana Santa in spring. Tell us your dates and we'll point you to the festivals worth building a trip around.