The Asociacion Carnavalesca de Massachusetts came by the Roslindale Branch of the Boston Public Library on Saturday for an exhibition of traditional performances associated with the Dominican Carnaval.

The family-run organization has been going since 2001 to perform throughout the state, either in an educational capacity, as on Saturday, or as part of official festivities.

Performers came out to Roslindale to celebrate the Dominican Carnaval on Saturday · Jeff Sullivan

Leonardo Mirabal said the carnaval festival and its traditional dancing monsters go back to colonial times when the Spanish Empire ruled what is today the Dominican Republic.

“Dominican Carnaval starts in the month of February and goes, usually, the whole month,” he said. “It’s usually every single Sunday, and now it’s been going on longer where they extended it to March. The folklore of the celebration is that when we were under Spanish rule and oppressed by the Spaniards, this was kind of our way of rebelling.”

Performers came out to Roslindale to celebrate the Dominican Carnaval on Saturday · Jeff Sullivan

Mirabal said the costumes came from the idea that the common people could scare the Spanish away by dressing up as demons. The tradition goes back to the early 1500s and is now celebrated along with the country’s Independence Day on Feb. 27.

“It’s said that with the use of these costumes, we were kind of able to scare the oppressor and fight against them,” he said. “It’s kind of just our folklore that we scared them away. But in that time? I’d say these costumes were much uglier, they were meant to be scary before. That’s how it started and just sprung into this artform that, honestly, you can only describe it if you’ve seen it.”

Mirabal said the event has many connotations within the culture and has become a year-long practice for some.

“Artists have dedicated their whole lives around Carvaval,” he said. “There are artisans who make masks year-round, costumes year-round, and they have their families involved and friends and relatives and it just becomes a communal thing rather than just an activity someone likes to do.”

Performers came out to Roslindale to celebrate the Dominican Carnaval on Saturday · Jeff Sullivan

Mirabal said this was the group’s first time in Roslindale.

“I love it here, it’s really nice,” he said. “This is our second or third library event. and this is just a perfect facility,” he said. “There are other places where you get there and it’s just kind of hard to figure it out. They don’t really have the best spaces to move around, and this is honestly perfect. It allows us to interact with the audience and for them to see our show.”

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Mirabal said the Roslindale Branch actually reached out to them to come and perform, and the Asociacion Carnavalesca was happy to oblige.

“This is the first time we came to Roslindale, and (Branch) Librarian Emily Todd reached out to us actually, looking to offer another type of cultural experience here in Roslindale, and we were super interested,” he said. “We’re based out of Lawrence, but we do events anywhere in Massachusetts. Sometimes we go to New York or New Jersey, and we try to educate the youth on what it means to be Dominican and indulge in the culture.”

About 30 residents came in and out during the event, including Kerina and Sarah.

“We’re all Dominican, but I don’t know anything about this,” said Kerina. “I was born here, and so we thought we’d come and see it. It’s really cool and I really like all this stuff. It’s just fun seeing everyone who showed up.”

“It’s just really great,” said Sarah. “It’s great to see everyone from her family and my family here and having fun every Saturday where they’re having it.”

“It makes me want to go over there, or at least New York, and see what it’s like,” said Kerina.

Youngster Clay said he learned a lot about the culture.

“There is just so much dancing,” he said. “And everybody is making masks. I made two. I like the dancing a lot and the costumes.”

Resident Stacy Nazzaro said she and her husband were looking for something to do today with their two daughters.

“I’m a Spanish teacher and so I like to engage with Spanish-speaking culture,” she said. “I’ve never experienced Dominican Carnaval, and so I was interested. It’s great so far, and the kids are loving it so far.”