Ministry of Culture Announces Three Days of Carnival in Santo Domingo

Ministry of Culture Announces Three Days of Carnival in Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 2/22/2013

The Ministry of Culture (MINC in Spanish) has decided to organize three days of Carnival in the capital city of Santo Domingo where Milly Quezada and Fernando Villalona will rule as queen and king. This year’s Carnival organizers are making a special effort to bring in more sectors of the population to this popular celebration.

The new “Marriage of the Male and Females Obelisks” (Boda de los obeliscos Macho y Hembra), a theatrical farce by Félix Germán, will be held at 6:00 pm, according to the Ministry of Culture’s General Directorate of Communications…

Activities will begin on Friday March 1st with the symbolic marriage of the male and female obelisks. On Saturday March 2ndthe National Children’s Carnival Parade will begin and, to conclude on Sunday the 3rd, the National Carnival Parade will take place.

Dozens of floats and street activities will be part of the National Paradeas well as representatives from Carnivals from provinces all around the Dominican Republic. They will march down George Washington Avenue (the Malecón)showing off their creativity and originality.The new “Marriage of the Male and Females Obelisks” (Boda de los obeliscos Macho y Hembra), a theatrical farce by Félix Germán, will be held at 6:00 pm, according to the Ministry of Culture’s General Directorate of Communications. The palm trees that adorn the area around the obelisks will be the dance partners. Officials from the Ministry of Culture, including composer, singer and Culture Minister José Antonio Rodríguez will be present at the celebration.

The Celebrations will continue with the second edition of the National Children’s Carnival in which nearly 70 troupes will participate.This activity will take place on Salud Avenue, Mirador Sur.

Children participating in the parade are between the ages of 5 and 14. The objective of this is to promote the creation of a space where children develop their creativity, let loose their imagination and learn by having fun about the Dominican Carnival so that the tradition will continue throughout time, from generation to generation.

Groups that will participate in the parade were selected from different educational regions as well as from other children’s national carnival groups.

This event, organized by theMINC’sDirectorate of Cultural Management and the Carnival, will provide an ideal space for parents to bring their children, starting at 9:00 am. A full schedule of children’s activities will be on hand, including clowns, face painting, inflatablebouncingtoys, children’s performances and many other fun things.

The MINC will award the three best dance troupes in seven categories, such as the traditional dancing devil, the historical, popular creativity, fantasy, Alli Baba and individual. In addition, a major prize will be given to the best troupe in one of the above-named categories.

The National Carnival Parade, March 3^rd on George Washington Avenue, will fill the streets with colorful floats and dance troupes on every corner throughout the length and breadth of the avenue.

Around 250 dance troupes, representing all 32 of the country’s provinces, will take part in the parade. There will also be representatives from carnivals from Haiti, Belize, Colombia, Curacao, Guadalupe and the United States, among others.