The National Parade for Carnival 2013 came to a close yesterday evening, Sunday 3 March with hundreds of participants in over 200 floats and groups showcasing this lively and colorful expression of the Dominican people’s magical and religious traditions. The parade, which took place in Santo Domingo, was dedicated to the city of Bani. It began at 4pm and went on for over five hours. The event was headed by Vice President Margarita Cedeno and the Minister of Culture, Jose Antonio Rodriguez. Both praised the organization and the representation of the 31 provinces in the parade. This year’s Carnival king and queen were merengue stars Fernando Villalona and Milly Quezada who led the procession down George Washington Avenue (Malecon). Some 2,500 police agents monitored the carnival.