Perhaps the most colorful carnival celebration in the Dominican Republic, the La Vega Carnival opens this afternoon with the Raffy Matias merengue band to set the stage. In a break from tradition, the first Saturday parade will be held this year, with subsequent parades scheduled for all the following Sundays leading up to 1, 8, 15 and 22 February. The grand finale will consist of a merengue bash on 27 February.
