MICHES, EL SEIBO – The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture has officially unveiled plans for the first-ever Este Festival, a three-day celebration of the country’s eastern regional identity set to run from August 28 to 30 in the coastal town of Miches. More than just a public event, the inaugural gathering is designed to serve as a dynamic platform for converging the diverse artistic, culinary, ancestral, and cultural expressions that define the eastern region of the nation.
At its core, the festival prioritizes elevating the work of local creators, from independent artists to skilled artisans, giving these underrepresented groups a centralized space to display their craft, share their culinary heritage, and pass down long-held regional traditions to new generations. It also aims to foster deeper cultural connection and exchange between different communities across the eastern Dominican Republic, breaking down geographic barriers to cultural engagement.
In a meaningful tribute to the region’s artisanal legacy, the first edition of Este Festival will be dedicated to renowned local artisan Genaro Reyes, widely known by his nickname “Cayuco.” Through an official Ministry of Culture resolution, Reyes will also be appointed as an honorary advisor for national cultural industry policies. The appointment leverages Reyes’ decades of on-the-ground experience in the artisanal sector, with the explicit goal of strengthening national craft fairs and creating more sustainable support systems for artisanal development across the country.
Culture Minister Roberto Ángel Salcedo shared full details of the festival initiative during a gathering with local artisans and press representatives at Miches City Hall. During his presentation, Salcedo underscored the long-term value of expanding access to professional opportunities for regional creators, noting that bringing vibrant cultural programming directly into local communities is a core priority of the current administration’s cultural policy.
Local and national cultural authorities confirmed that Este Festival forms part of a broader, ongoing strategy to spotlight and preserve regional craft and tradition, while expanding targeted support for cultural sector workers and organizations across the eastern Dominican Republic. The initiative marks a key step in decentralizing cultural programming from major urban centers and investing in the unique cultural identity of regional communities.