Johnny Ventura was the star of the evening for the opening of the La Vega carnival, one weekend before it was originally scheduled. It’s carnival time in the Dominican Republic and if you have not been to La Vega, be sure to visit on any Sunday in February. The event continues next Sunday, 5 February at 3 pm. This year there will be a special international parade on Monday, 27 February, Independence Day. While the climax is the last Sunday of the month when all the costumed-demons are out in force, every one of the preparatory runs on the previous Sundays is about just as much fun. The groups run down main streets, dancing, with parades of bladder-blasting pranksters trying to land a wallop on any viewer who may be in their way. Spectators are just as much of the show, as they dodge the diablos cojuelos. This year a devildrome has been habilitated in front of the Las Palmas Park, at Avenida de los Flamboyanes. The area will provide safety from the devils that are loose on La Vega streets.