CLEVELAND — Tropical pride and passion are on full display at the 2024 Dominican Cultural Festival in Cleveland. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Club Dominicano de Cleveland is hosting the city's second ever Dominican Cultural Fest at Estabrook Park in Cleveland, from noon to 9:00 pm.

  • Attendees can endulge in traditional Dominican food, watch folkloric dance and listen to live reggaeton, merengue and salsa music.

  • Community members say the celebration is about spreading cultural awareness and promoting unity.

The Club Dominicano de Cleveland is hosting its annual festival at the Estabrook Park for only its second year in a row. Last year, the Dominican club made history by hosting the first celebration of its kind in the city. Now, hundreds are coming together to dine on Dominican chimi burgers, dance to dembow and rep the island’s red, white and blue.

Taino Restaurant Owner Jose Melendez, said it’s his first year bringing Caribbean cooking to the celebration.

“I just couldn’t pass on the opportunity to actually show what we can do... and Dominican cuisine since our cuisine is more Puerto Rican and Colombian,” he said.

Melendez is of Puerto Rican heritage, but he said there’s a close connection between the two islands, especially in Cleveland.

“The communities are very close, they’re our cousins... We share a lot of the food, a lot of the culture, a lot of the music,” Melendez said. “I mean, definitely, we’re cousins and brothers.”

Dulce Sanchez, member of Club Dominicano de Cleveland, said the fest draws in people of diverse backgrounds from across the globe.

“It just it makes my heart smile just to see how many Dominicans and other culture, people from other countries, are supporting us today,” Sanchez said.

Even though it’s only their second festival, Sanchez said the community has a historic presence in northeast Ohio.

“The meaning of the festival is to bring the community together, a Dominican community that has been in Cleveland for over 40 years,” she said. “And we had the presence of the Dominicans, but it took a group of leaders in the community to put this together.”

She said these festivities are crucial for keeping their customs alive.

“We want to make sure that we’re educating the future generation so they can learn about our traditions,” Sanchez said.

Melendez, who’s lived in Cleveland for over 30 years, said the DR’s presence is only getting bigger.

“They’re definitely growing in the past couple of years,” he said. “So definitely they deserve to be acknowledged, not only as... the community, the culture and everything else.”