Whether you dance the night away with costumed characters at Carnival celebrations in Santiago and La Vega or dance to pulse-pounding merengue at festivals in the New World's first city, Dominican Republic has it all. Pack your bags and join in on any of the unforgettable events Dominican Republic offers each year. For the full calendar of events see:  http://www.godominicanrepublic.com/events/upcoming/ 

November - Puerto Plata Golf Classic  

ASHONORTE (Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Association of North DR) presents the first Puerto Plata Golf Classic Invitational, to be held at the renowned Playa Dorada golf course (designed by Robert Trent Jones) to benefit ASHONORTE's tourism culture

November 2014 - Santo Domingo Colonial Fest

An event dedicated to honour the Dominican Republic culture, monuments, gastronomy and history. For more information http://www.colonialfest.org/ 

Sunday is the official day for dancers of Caribbean rhythms to meet and dance in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone, right alongside one of the country's oldest colonial buildings.  Between 5:00 and 10:00 p.m., Dominicans and international tourists come together in what has become a tradition in the city's Colonial Zone. The live music provides just the right ambience for this street party, where experienced and not-so-experienced dancers come together. The party takes place with the Monastery of San Francisco as a backdrop. The event has become such a cultural statement that Santo Domingo's City Council declared the Sunday event as part of the city's “artistic patrimony.”

November

Dominican Jazz Festival: Annual event held in Cabarete and Santiago that attracts large audiences who come to hear the best from international and national jazz musicians. www.DRjazzfestival.com 

Circuito de Galerías

December 2014, 7:00pm - 10:30pm

Organized by The Arts Gallery Association. Every third Thursday of the month beginning August 15th through December 19th. The free bus tour to visit different galleries in Santo Domingo runs from 7pm to 10:30 pm. For more information call 809-563-7860

December

2015

Jan – Dec - Santo Domingo de Fiesta: The free outdoor show begins at 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday at the Plaza de España in the Colonial Zone

Jan – Dec - Arts & Crafts Fair in Colonial City: The craft fair is held at Plazoleta Fray Bartolome de las Casas every Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Shoppers can view and purchase a selection of Dominican-made fine arts and crafts.

Jan - Laser Midwinter Regatta: The annual Regatta is held in Cabarete, the Kite-boarding Capital of the World, and marks the start of the world's Laser Regatta calendar.

Jan - Professional Baseball Championships Semi-finals: Fans can take in the post-season and watch Dominican baseball greats in the annual winter playoffs. www.lidom.com/calendario.htm

Jan - The Parade of the Three Kings: Celebrates the epiphany twelve days after Christmas on Calle El Conde in the historic Colonial Zone, located in Santo Domingo.

Jan-Mar - Humpback Whales Observation Season: View the 3,000 to 5,000 whales that migrate to the waters of the Bay of Samaná on a guided boat tour or at the land observatory. www.nature.org/wherewework/caribbean/dominicanrepublic/

Caribbean Baseball Series: Held in Santo Domingo at the Quisqueya Baseball Stadium, the Caribbean Baseball Series hosts the best teams from Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic.

Procigar Festival 2015 registration underway More than 300 people from around the world gather at the Procigar Festival in La Romana, Puerto Plata and Santiago. Events include a golf tournament, beach excursions, merengue classes, cigar workshops and more. www.Procigar.org

Feb – Mar - Dominican Carnival: With origins dating back to 1520, Dominican Carnival is a tradition inherited from Spanish forefathers and each city has a unique celebration with parades every Sunday of the month. Famous cities for festive Dominican Carnival celebrations, include Puerto Plata, Rio San Juan, Constanza, La Vega, Montecristi, Samaná; Higuey, La Romana, La Vega, Santiago and Santo Domingo.

Feb - Master of the Ocean 2015: Known as the triathlon of wave riding, because it combines surfing, windsurfing, kite-surfing and Stand Up Paddle (SUP). bringing together professionals from the Dominican Republic and international athletes, specialized in these four disciplines.

Feb 27 - Dominican Independence Day of 1844 Parade: The parade begins at 4 p.m. along the Avenue of the Malecón resting alongside the Caribbean Sea in the capital city, Santo Domingo.

Mar - Punta Cana Carnival: Visitors and locals alike celebrate Punta Cana Carnival in Punta Cana Village every March. The annual parade features carnival troops from throughout the country, costumed characters and live performances. www.puntacana.com

April - Master of the Ocean: An annual kite-boarding and surfing competition held in beautiful Cabarete Bay on Dominican Republic's North Coast.  www.MasteroftheOcean.com

28-30 April - Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE):

Participants will meet at the Barceló Bávaro Convention Centre, Dominican Republic. Buyers will have the opportunity to meet, at their discretion, with more than 150 different suppliers of Dominican tourism products and services. http://www.drdate.net/app/frontpage.aspx

May - International Book Fair: The fair is held at the Plaza de la Cultura in Santo Domingo and commemorates the anniversary of the constitution of the Dioceses of Santo Domingo. Catholic editors, speakers and experts participate in the fair. http://www.ferilibro.com

June - Puerto Plata Cultural Festival: Normally held the third week of June, the Puerto Plata Cultural Festival offers an insight into Dominican culture with Folk Music, traditional African tribal dances, salsa and merengue. There are also many exhibits of crafts from local artists.

DR Golf Open - The Dominican Republic Professional Golf Open will take place at Teeth of the Dog in La Romana this year. The tournament is scheduled for May 2015. The tournament is operated under the PGA Tour Latin America (Nec Series Tour). The PGA has been backing the Dominican Republic Open for the past two years.

June - Kiteboarding World Cup: Cabarete, the Kite-boarding Capital of the World, is known for hosting the most spectacular kite-boarding events. The region ensures the perfect wind and water conditions for competitors. www.cabareteevents.com

July – August - Merengue Festival in Santo Domingo: Every year top bands at Santo Domingo's seaside promenade, El Malecón, pump out the infectious music that is much loved by Dominicans at the Merengue Festival. Locals and tourists alike dance on the beach, in hotels and throughout the capital with amateur DJs on every block.

August - The Hotel & Restaurant Commercial Exhibition: The show, held at the Fiesta Hotel & Casino in Santo Domingo, offers a full range of product and services for all areas of the food service and lodging industry. www.Asonahores.com

September - DR Golf Travel Exchange - La Romana, Dominican Republic.-  Seeking to bolster golf tourism in the Dominican Republic and boost its presence in the Caribbean country's market share, DR Golf Travel Exchange will host the second Dominican Republic Golf Travel Exchange 2015, slated from September 1 to 6 in La Romana and Punta Cana. The event aims to promote Dominican Republic as the Caribbean top golf destination and showcase the quality of the country's numerous golf courses.  http://www.drgolftravel.com/index.php/en/

6-13 SEPT 2015 - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GROOVEFEST

GrooveFest International Music Festival in the Dominican Republic. It is the first festival of its kind in the Dominican Republic featuring some of the biggest DJs in the world. http://www.groovefestevents.com/

October

Taste Santo Domingo: The most complete gastronomic event in the country where the audience can enjoy multiple activities such as wine tasting, dinners, private events and award ceremonies. Also, the excellent cuisine that Dominican Republic offers, along with wines and spirits.  www.tastesantodomingo.com

October Regional Music Festival                                                                                                                          This top regional music festival, and certainly the Dominican Republic's most important, is scheduled for October. The festival will be held in Santo Domingo's Olympic Stadium, situated in the very heart of the capital city.

October - Puerto Plata Merengue Festival: Vendors set up booths on both sides of the malecón the first week of October and sell a variety of homemade goods to eat, drink or wear, and a huge stage is erected for concerts by famous merengue musicians. www.PuertoPlata.com

October - Dominicana Moda

Dominicana Moda has become the most advertised event in the history of Dominican Republic. The vision was to present to the world the talent of the Dominican Republic designers who are known for their fashion. The week dedicated to Fashion includes 5 full days of shows, with around 5 daily parades, presenting designs from the best known local and international designers, is held the 3 week in October annuallywww.DominicanaModa.com

October – January

Dominican Winter Professional Baseball: The winter season kicks off with series games taking place all across the country starting in September. Many U.S. MLB players began their careers in Dominican baseball. www.lidom.com/calendario.htm

For further information on the destination please contact: Esther Smith: pr.uk@godominicanrepublic.com Tel/fax: 01962 711239 – Mobile: 07768901197 - Website:  www.godominicanrepublic.com – high res photographs – www.drsmartlibrary.com

Visit the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism's official Web site at: www.godominicanrepublic.com or call +44 (0)20 7242 7778. You can join us on Facebook and Twitter on: http://www.facebook.com/godominicanrepublic - http://twitter.com/dominicanrep_UK