Business hours in the Dominican Republic are normally 8.30am-6pm Monday through Friday, and 8.30am-12.30pm on Saturday. About half of the stores still close for the midday siesta. Banks are generally open Monday through Friday 8.30am-noon and 2-5pm, with a few open on Saturday.

The Dominican Republic has a bewildering barrage of festivals . On every day of the year, there seems to be some kind of celebration somewhere, the majority of which are regional fiestas patronales , held in honour of the city's or town's patron saint. These traditional fiestas are one of the great pleasures of a trip to the DR.