How is Carnival celebrated in Santiago in the Dominican Republic?

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In Santiago, the Carnival celebration is a vibrant, multi-week event held in the period leading up to Lent. The festivities are characterized by several distinct traditions:

Masked Participants: Men and boys circulate through the streets wearing homemade masks, which are considered a recognized form of local art.
Playful Interactions: These costumed participants often hit one another with inflated pig or goat bladders while chanting traditional rhymes designed to provoke playful retaliation.
Performances: During the final days of the celebration, groups of men and women dressed in elaborate costumes perform in the streets, often seeking handouts of rum and cash from onlookers.1