Dominican Republic Events 2009-2010

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether you enjoy dancing with the
devils at Carnival celebrations in Santo Domingo, La Vega, Punta Cana or
Santiago, dancing the night away at Merengue festivals or delighting in the
Dominican Republic's (DR) winter season baseball line-up, this amazing country
has it all. Pack your bags and make your dreams come true in the DR at any of
the annual events listed here:

March/April 2009

March 31 - April 5:The 2009 Archery World Cup held in Santo Domingo, March 31
- April 5. Organized by the International Archery Federation (FITA), 29
countries will participate. www.ArcheryWorldCup.org.

April 20 - 21: The National Hotel & Restaurant Association hosts the Dominican
Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) at the Barcelo Convention Center.
www.DRDate.net.

April: April is Month of the Dance in Santo Domingo. Sponsored by the Ministry
of Culture, performances by the National Classic Ballet and others can be seen
at venues throughout the city.

April 20 - May 3:The International Book Fair at the Plaza de La Cultura in
Santo Domingo. www.Ferilibro.com.

April 29:The International Dance Day's Gala Evening sponsored by the National
Classic Ballet at the National Theater in Santo Domingo.

May 2009

May 2 - 4:TheCaribbean Tourism Fair (Bolsa Turistica del Caribe) takes place
at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel & Casino in Santo Domingo. www.btc.com.do/.

June 2009

June: Every Thursday in June enjoy the Festival of Jazz at the Casa de Teatro
in the Colonial City in Santo Domingo. Performances begin at 9
p.m.www.CasadeTeatro.com.

June 9 - 14: The 2009 Cabarete Kiteboarding World Cup will be held at Bozo
Beach in Cabarete. http://www.prokitetour.com/event.php?id=82.

July 2009

July: Every Thursday enjoy the Festival of Jazz at the Casa de Teatro in the
Colonial City in Santo Domingo. Performances begin at 9
p.m.www.CasadeTeatro.com.

July:The Merengue Festivalin Santo Domingo takes place along the Malecon.
www.DR1.com.

July 10: The Windsurf World Competition in Cabarete lasts between seven and
nine days depending on the wind.

August 2009

August:The Merengue Festivalin Santo Domingo takes place along the Malecon.
www.DR1.com.

Aug. 16: The Restoration of the Republic is celebrated throughout the DR and
usually begins with a flag-raising in Fort San Louis in Santiago.

Aug. 16 - Oct. 31:The Biennial of Visual Arts is held at the Museum of Modern
Art in Santo DomingoAug. 16 - Oct. 31. The Museum is located in the Plaza de
la Cultura. www.DR1.com/travel/santodomingo/.

September 2009

Sept. 16 - 20: The Symphony Orchestra Fall season occurs with concerts on
Sept. 16 and 20 at the Bellas Artes Theater in Santo Domingo (Palacio de
Bellas Artes) on the Av. Maximo Gomez and the corner of Av. Independence.

October 2009

October - January: As the U.S. baseball season winds down, the DR's Winter
Baseball Season is just warming up. Venues for games include Santo Domingo,
Santiago, La Romana, San Pedro de Macoris and San Francisco de Macoris.
www.GoDominicanRepublic.com.

Oct. 19 - 24:Dominican Fashion Week's DominicanaModa 2009 returns for its
fourth year Oct. 19-24, 2009 at the Occidental Hotel El Embajador in Santo
Domingo. This year's fashion event will include distinguished New York
designer and entrepreneur, Carolina Herrera. www.DominicanaModa.com.

November 2009

Nov. 6 - 8: The Annual Dominican Republic Jazz Festival is held in Cabarete
near Puerto Plata. www.drjazzfestival.com.

December 2009

Dec. 1: The Latin American Art Collection exhibition opens with the collection
of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros at the Centro Leon in Santiago. www.DR1.com.

Second Week in December: TheChristmas Craft Fair is held on the Parque Colon
in the Colonial City in Santo Domingo. www.DR1.com.

Second Week in December: La Noche Larga de Los Museos. On an evening in the
second week of December, all of the museums in Santo Domingo are open until
midnight. www.DR1.com.

Dec. 25:The Nativity of the Lord's Concert, featuring the National Choir and
the National Symphony Orchestra is held at the Cathedral Santa Maria de la
Encarnacion in Santo Domingo.

Dec. 31: A New Year's Celebration is held on the Avenida del Puerto and the
Malecon in Santo Domingo.

January 2010

Jan. 5: The Parade of the Three Kings celebrates the Epiphany twelve days
after Christmas on Calle El Conde Street in the historic Colonial Zone in
Santo Domingo.

Jan. TBD:The Laser Midwinter Regatta is held annually on the North Coast of
the DR in Cabarete. This annual Regatta marks the start of the world's laser
regatta calendar. www.caribwind.com.

Jan. 15 - March 15: Humpback Whales Observation Season. From Jan. 15 - March
15, Samana Bay in the DR is taken over by humpback whales.
www.nature.org/wherewework/caribbean/dominicanrepublic/.

Jan. 1 - 31: The National Symphony Orchestra Season begins at Eduardo Brito
National Theatre in Santo Domingo. For more information, contact:
809-687-3191.

January - February: Professional Baseball Championships
Semifinals.www.lidom.com/calendario.htm.

February 2010

Feb. 1 - March 7, 2010: Carnival. The Dominican Carnival is a tradition
inherited from Spanish fore-fathers. Each city has a celebration with a unique
feel that usually includes parades every Sunday. Check out Carnival in La
Vega, Santiago, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. www.DominicanMasks.com.

Feb. 27: In commemoration of the Dominican Independence Day of 1844, a
military parade takes place along the Avenue of the Malecon in the culturally
rich capital city of Santo Domingo. A colorful two-hour military parade begins
at 4 p.m. For more information, call: 1-809-221-4660.

Feb. 19 - 24:Kiteboarding 4 Kids is a charity kiteboarding competition held in
Cabarete that includes race and freestyle events to support local charities.
www.caribwind.com.

Feb. 24 - March 1: Master of the Ocean is a watersports competition with three
categories: windsurfing, kiteboarding and surfing, in Cabarete Bay. It brings
together the greatest figures, both national and international, who compete
for the crown of "Master of the Ocean." www.MasteroftheOcean.com.

March 2010

March 2010: Enjoy March Theater in Santo Domingo the entire month at the Plaza
del Conservatorio. www.bellasartes.gov.do/cnm.htm.

March 2010 TBD: The Parade of Carnival is the culmination of Carnival
celebrations in the city of Santo Domingo and takes place at George Washington
Avenue at the Malecon.

First Week in March 2010:Punta Cana's Third Carnival Celebration will be held
at the Punta Cana Village in the Dominican Republic. For more information
visit, www.DR1.com.

Late March or early April 2010: The Cap Cana Championship, the PGA's third
annual event on the stunning East Coast of the DR takes place at the Punta
Espada Golf Club in Cap Cana. www.theCapCanaChampionship.com.

The Dominican Republic's first tourist was Christopher Columbus in 1492. Rich
in history, the DR has developed into a diverse destination offering both
Dominican and European flavors to more than one million U.S. visitors each
year. Named #1 Golf Destination in Caribbean & Latin America by the
International Association of Golf Tour Operators, the DR boasts 25 designer
golf courses, upscale resorts, pristine nature, and sophisticated cities and
quaint villages filled with warm Dominican people. The DR features the best
beaches, fascinating history and culture, and is a chosen escape for
celebrities, couples and families alike. Visit the Dominican Republic Ministry
of Tourism's official Web site at: www.GoDominicanRepublic.com or call 1(888)
374-6361 for more information.

SOURCE Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism

Vanessa Welter, +1-414-247-3803, vwelter@bvk.com, or Holly Werblow,
+1-414-247-3809, hwerblow@bvk.com, both of bvk Public Relations for Dominican
Republic Ministry of Tourism