CLEVELAND – Tropical pride and passion are on full display at the 2024 Dominican Cultural Festival in Cleveland.
This is only the second year in a row that Club Dominicano de Cleveland is hosting its annual festival at Estabrook Park. Last year, the Dominican club made history when it hosted the first festival of its kind in the city. Now, hundreds come together to eat Dominican chimi burgers, dance to dembow and represent the island’s red, white and blue.
Jose Melendez, the owner of the Taino restaurant, said it was his first year bringing Caribbean cuisine to the festivities.
“I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to actually show what we can do… and Dominican cuisine, since our cuisine is more Puerto Rican and Colombian,” he said.
Melendez is of Puerto Rican descent, but said there is a close connection between the two islands, especially in Cleveland.
“The communities are very close, they’re our cousins… We share a lot of the food, a lot of the culture, a lot of the music,” Melendez said. “I mean, we’re definitely cousins and brothers.”
Dulce Sanchez, a member of the Club Dominicano de Cleveland, said the festival attracts people of different backgrounds from all over the world.
“It just makes my heart smile when I see how many Dominicans and people from other cultures and countries are supporting us today,” Sanchez said.
Although it is only their second festival, Sanchez said the community has a historic presence in Northeast Ohio.
“The point of the festival is to bring the community together, a Dominican community that has been in Cleveland for over 40 years,” she said. “And we had the Dominicans’ presence, but it took a group of community leaders to put this together.”
She said these festivities are crucial to keeping their customs alive.
“We want to make sure we educate the future generation so they can learn about our traditions,” Sanchez said.
Melendez, who has lived in Cleveland for more than 30 years, said the DR’s presence is growing.
“They’ve definitely grown over the last few years,” he said. “So they definitely deserve recognition, not just as … the community, the culture and everything else.”
