Carnival in Dominican Republic
A few weeks ago was my first carnival experience in Dominican Republic. What I saw, what I learned, and would I come back?
Carnival 2025, here in sunny Dominican Republic. Carnival is celebrated every Sunday during the month of February. Dominican carnival takes place throughout the whole country, to which provinces that chooses to celebrate.
The day started with the birds singing, folks attending their Sunday service, not much cars on the road. A typical Sunday morning in Dominican Republic. Then I heard that there was carnival later today. Hmm, ok sounds like a good idea to check it out. In this country it would be my first carnival experience. Being already in the Puerto Plata area, and this province is doing carnival, I’ll attend this nearby parade. It’s being held by the center of the city, right alongside the ocean. Carnivals in other parts of the country like La Vega or Santiago are known to be bigger and attract way bigger crowds. Puerto Plata carnival is known to be smaller and to have lesser crowds. As we walk in to the location, the first thing I noticed is that it's quiet. Quiet and carnival don’t usually go hand in hand lol. There is not huge trucks playing loud music with people in costumes dancing along, while passing by. That's what I and most people who have been to carnivals would expect. This one is not crowded at all, I don't want to give the impression that it was ghost town either. After experiencing the overcrowded ones for many years in the past, I welcome the change.
I see many vendors that are selling a lot of the same foods. That street food selection could be improved, as there was a lack of options. Not a big deal though, because right in short walking distance there is countless of really good restaurants. The carnival is in a really good location. Nearby the historic district, a high tourist area, not far from where the cruise ships go. As we walk towards the music and crowd, I notice that so many people have chosen to sit by the malecon (waterfront). Approaching more towards the crowd and now it’s clear to see. The carnival in Puerto Plata is centered around the performances. We the participants (crowd) stand aside of two stages where performances take place for our entertainment. That will explain it all. There are many people here, but the location is in such a wide area that people can spread out and not feel crammed in.
The performances were really good, you could tell that the performers put a lot effort into their shows. I’m well aware that costumes for carnivals cost a lot of money and take time to make. Performers are of all ages, I seen children alongside adults on the stage. The performances were high octane, high energy, and held the attention of the crowd. Many of the performances were groups choreographed dancing to music. There were also solo acts, which a few really stood out to me. One man did a tribute performance I believe to the Indigenous Taíno. The original inhabitants to the island of Hispaniola (Today known as Dominican Republic). For myself two performers stood out above all, they look like they just came off a horror movie set. Their act was a burned crazy monster type had just escaped under the doctor's care.
Speaking of interesting characters, you can’t talk about carnival in Dominican Republic without mention of Diablo Cojuelo. The Diablo Cojuelo is a key figure in Dominican carnival, inspired by Spanish folklore. Originally a mischievous devil punished with a limp, it evolved into a joyful, festive character. Its colorful costume and horned mask reflect African, Taíno, and Spanish influences, symbolizing Dominican culture. Ladies be aware, this character playfully dances around swinging a balloon-like vejiga at any and every female's backside. Did I mention, that it’s not just The Diablo Cojuelo spanking female's rears, it's pretty much half the males wearing a costume lol. Carnivals all have traditions that not everyone is enjoys. Some Carnivals around the world they'll splash water on you, and some they throw baby powder on you. The balloon hit is just fun and games, a tradition that for the most part everyone is fine with. I saw a foreigner man get upset like he wanted to fight, when someone hit his lady with the balloon. He ended up looking like the bad guy for getting upset. He and his lady didn't read the room, they could have stood on the side instead of walking through the crowd. No woman is safe in the middle of the crowds, I even saw an elder foreigner lady get it on the rear.
Carnival in Dominican Republic for my first time, isn't going to be my last one either. I had a good time. The Puerto Plata carnival location was family oriented. Being known as one of the more calm of the carnivals during the month. Personally, that's how I like it, and also being in such an excellent location tops it off. Other locations hosting carnival, I’m sure they have their own unique experience to them. Maybe next time I’ll check one out.
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Looked like fun!! I loved the heads. Haha, and the black performer, he looked interesting. Nice pictures, good article! I keep forgetting to ask you: How good is your Spanish?