A landmark celebration of Dominican art, literature and identity is set to take over New York City next summer, as the Dominican Republic prepares to host the 2026 Dominican Book and Culture Festival from July 10 to 12. Convening a diverse cross-section of creative minds, industry builders and cultural stewards from both the Dominican diaspora and the broader global community, the three-day event will be hosted at the George Washington Educational Campus, located in the heart of Washington Heights – a neighborhood long rooted in Dominican American life. Overseeing the festival is Dominican Republic Culture Minister Roberto Ángel Salcedo, who has spearheaded efforts to expand the nation’s cultural outreach to communities abroad.
Rey Andújar, a key organizer of the gathering, outlined that the festival’s multidisciplinary programming centers on four core pillars: literature, visual and performing arts, entrepreneurship, and the exploration of shared cultural identity. Under the unifying official theme “reading is flourishing,” the event sets out to achieve two interconnected goals: shine a well-deserved spotlight on the breadth of Dominican talent and growing cultural industries based in the United States, while forging stronger, more lasting bonds between the Dominican government and its vast community of citizens and descendants living overseas.
Attendees will have access to a packed schedule of immersive activities, ranging from intimate literary panels and in-person author readings to a bustling open-air artisan bazaar showcasing handcrafted traditional goods. A dedicated pavilion highlighting women-owned Dominican businesses will offer networking and exhibition opportunities for female entrepreneurs, alongside curated fashion exhibitions highlighting contemporary Dominican design and vibrant live cultural performances that bring folk and modern traditions to life. Delegations of published writers from across the Caribbean, Europe and the United States – including contingents from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain and multiple U.S. regions – will travel to New York to take part in the festival’s programming.
In a nod to Dominican history and national legacy, special curated exhibits and presentations will honor three iconic national figures: founding father Juan Pablo Duarte, his activist sister Rosa Duarte, and pioneering educator Ercilia Pepín, ensuring their contributions to Dominican identity and progress are centered for new generations of attendees.
Organizers have emphasized that engaging younger members of the diaspora is a top priority for the 2026 festival. To that end, a full slate of age-specific literary and educational activities has been designed specifically for children and young people, with the dual goal of fostering a love of reading and creative expression while helping younger attendees connect to their Dominican cultural heritage.