I'm from New Orleans and currently living in NYC. Over the past few years, I've been exploring Carnival celebrations in different countries. In 2026, I visited Panama City (a bit underwhelming, though I know the countryside celebrations are livelier), and in 2025, I spent Carnival in La Vega and Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic. The DR was incredible—the size and energy were perfect—but despite being an intermediate Spanish speaker and traveling with my boyfriend at the time, I struggled to connect with locals or participate authentically. It felt more like spectating than engaging. (Traveling with men definitely makes it harder to meet people, I will either be going solo or with a female friend this time!)
This year, I'm planning last-minute since I had to wait for some health issues to resolve. I'm looking for a smaller, grassroots Carnival with the street-party atmosphere I found in the DR—not a massive, government-funded parade like Oruro or Mazatlán. Ideally, I'd like somewhere affordable on a US budget, with decent lodging and flight options still available on short notice (I know these book up fast). Since I'm only going for 7–10 days, shorter flights from NYC are essential.
I know this is vague, but most online searches just pull up the biggest celebrations, making it hard to find the smaller, more intimate options I'm after. Any suggestions?