The Guloya Festival begins on the first day of the year in San Pedro de Macorís. It is held to celebrate the cultural influence of the Cuban immigrants who founded this town when fleeing from their own country's War of Independence in the 19th century.
Each January a massive crowd, dressed in vibrant Junkanoo-like costumes dance their way through the streets of the Miramar neighborhood, to various drums and flutes. It is one of the best and most colorful parade on the whole island. The Guloyas dance has also been classified by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Patrimony of Humanity.