Dominican Chocolate Festival to showcase more than 18 local brands in Santiago

The Dominican Chocolate Festival will take place in Santiago on October 17 and 18, bringing together local chocolate brands, producers and consumers as part of the sixth edition of the event.

For two days, Ágora Santiago Center will host more than 18 Dominican chocolate brands, showcasing products made with locally produced cocoa and highlighting the work of chocolatiers across the country.

The festival will feature tastings, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities and educational sessions about cocoa, chocolate and the different stages involved in their production.

The event will also recognize the Dominican Association of Chocolate Makers (Adochoco) and participating brands for their contributions to the development of the country’s chocolate industry.

Dominican cocoa sector

The festival comes as Dominican cocoa continues to expand its presence in international markets, particularly through organic production. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the country produced 85,300 tons of cocoa in 2025, with 51% classified as organic.

The ministry also reported approximately 42,000 registered cocoa producers and about 2.75 million tareas cultivated under agroforestry systems in 2025.

Organizers say the festival aims to bring consumers closer to the cocoa production chain while giving greater visibility to Dominican chocolatiers and the value-added products made from national cocoa.

The event is organized by the Dominican Environmental Consortium, International Trade Center, Ágora, Mediáticos Comunicación Consultores and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM), with support from Cortés Hermanos, Zorzal Cacao, the Dominican Association of Chefs and the Ministry of Agriculture.