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GAY VALLARTA PRESENTATIONS!!!

CELEBRATIONS - HOLIDAYS - ANNUAL EVENTS

A GREAT time to be in Puerto Vallarta is when there's a celebration, annual event &/or LOTS of activities going on!! Plan your trip around one of them for double the fun!!!
(Latins seem to celebrate more holidays than any culture I've seen! Note that
maids,cooks & MANY workers do NOT work on many of these holidays,
so you many not get serviced)
*= an official holiday when most things are closed
Here are a few (subject to change):

	JANUARY WHALE MIGRATION-WHALE WATCHING (Nov-March-ish) ~ 1-3: New Years ~ 1-5: Inauguration of the Cora governor in Jesus Maria, Nayarit (Cora Indigenous dances & ceremonies) ~ 6: Feast of Epiphany (day 3 kings bring gifts to children/traditional gift exchange. Local charaities contribute to children's causes! A sweet roll with a plastic miniature Baby Jesus is hidden inside the roll. Whomever gets the piece with the baby gets to host the party on Feb. 2 [like King Cake for Mardi Gras!] Thankx Bernie!) ~ 17: Dia de Sanb Antonio Abad (decorating & blessing of animals) ~ Dixie Jazz Festival (Sherry Logan-Shlogan@telus.net)
	FEBRUARY WHALE MIGRATION-WHALE WATCHING (Nov-March-ish) ~ 1-3: Festival of Sea (fishing) (San Blas, Nayarit - dancing, horse races & competitions) ~ 2: Candle Mass Day (a time of purification - blessing of candles, plants, seeds marked with fiestas, fairs, lantern-decorated streets & bullfights. Celebrated with a Tamale Party [& hosted by the person that found the plastic Baby Jesus at the 3 Kings Day party!] ~ 5: Constitution Day (commemorating National charter which officially ended the Revolution of 1910, giving birth to modern Mexico) ~ 14: VALENTINES DINNER - The WONDERFUL/GENEROUS owners of Le Bistro Restaurant donates a large % of their proceeds from dinner that day to SIDA-the local AIDS foundation!!!! PLEASE SUPPORT THIS!!! Reservations are a MUST (22-20283) as this is THE EVENT on Valentines Day!! (www.lebistro.com.mx) ~ 24: Flag Day ~ The week before Ash Wednesday - usually late February or early March ~ Caranival (great in Vera Cruz & growing in PV) - Celebrations start the weekend before Ash Wednesday!!!! Parades!! Food! Dancing! fireworks++!! ~ ART AUCTION (APA) - '00's was on 3rd sun at Le Bistro from 3-6pm & was 125 pesos for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres & live music & a GREAT silent auction!!) - International Friendship Club's Annual Bazaar/Flea Market (3rd sun.?), 9am-2pm at their school across from Daquiri Dicks (corner Olas Atlas & Carranza) (www.zona-virtual.com.mx/ifc) - a place to find treasures (flea market) & enjoy local delacicies!! ~ FUEGO NUEVO - A celebration of dance, painting, poetry & song & sand castles!! Cuates Y Cuates just north of Muertos Pier (4th Wed?)-FREE ~ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL @ Cine bahia (starts around the end of Feb. through March?) sponsored by the Municipal Department of Culture, Preparatoria Regional de Puerto Vallarta of the University of Guadalajara & the Puerto Vallarta Public Library ~ American School's Annual AUCTION & CASINO NIGHT (a BIG GALA event!!! - '00 was on the 3rd Sat. at Westin Regina & cost 175 pesos & had auction items from a jet ski to Evelyn Boren paintings. Price included a buffet , bar & live performance by singer Rocio Barquells!)
	MARCH WHALE MIGRATION-WHALE WATCHING (Nov-March-ish) ~ beginning of March(?) - Feria ~ ('00-1st Sat. at Westin Regina) BECAS BALL-the American-Mexico Scholarship Foundation Dance (22-21478/22-24623) - tifcckets 350 pesos & includes free margaritas from 8-9pm, a full gourmet dinner, raffle, dancing, door prizes & a silent auction ~ Mid-March ('00 2nd Sat)-DESSERT COOK-OFF!! (22-24839) - Ummmm!!! This is the Animal Protection Association (APA)'s Anniversary benefit!! Baker entries are free, Eaters only 20 pesos admission & 15 pesos for eac serving you taste (4 servings for 50 pesos!!). Take it with you for 50 pesos a serving! ~ Mid-March ('00 ws on the 3rd Sun.) - Spring Biathlon-begins at the Malecon with the swimming competition of 250 meters (begins at the Sea Horse on the Malecon & heads South) followed by a 4-mile run! Entry 20 pesos! Register at the Municipal Department of Sports in the Presidencia Municipal ~ last weekend in March?? Banderas bay Boat Regatta headquaratered at Paradise Villate/Nuevo Vallarta (contact Jim Ketler at 044-329-70163 / jjpicante@pvnet.com.mx ~ 19: Dia de San Jose (Da y of St. Joseph) ~ 21: Benito Juarez birthday (Lincoln of MX - their most beloved president & leader of the 19th century Reform movement - 1806) ~ Ash Wednesday - MANY businesses are closed til noon ~ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (see Feb)
	APRIL 15: Gala Benefit Dinner Dance benefitting Escuela para el exito ("School of Success"-helps kids in crisis realize their potential [I'm not sure yet if it's an actual school]) - '00 at the Marriott Casa Magna. Dinner, dancing & open bar - just 480 pesos! Sat. at 8:30pm ~ Week before Easter celebrations start!!! Celebrations & somber processions are held in observance of Christ's resurrection ~ Week after Easter-"Semana Santa" (processions, services & other events culminating on Easter celebrating the death & resurrection of Christ) - big time for Nationals to go on holiday ~ Jazz Festival
	MAY A BUSY month!! "Fiestas de Mayo!!" The whole month of May is FULL of celebrations, parades, bullfights, soccer, games, dancing, street music, amusement park rides, children's performances, exhibits & food. LOTS of activities are held in the main square (by City Hall) & at the southern end of the Malecon at the "Los Arcos" stage! 1: Labor Day (NO ONE works!!). Concludes with a fiesta at 7pm at the Los Arcos Amphitheatre ! ~ 3: Holy Cross Day (construction workers plaace decorated crosses atop unfinished buildings & get the day off & often have a fiesta at a work site) ~ 5: Cinco de Mayo-Battle of Puebla (anniversary of the defeat of the French Army at Puebla in 1862. Celebrted MUCH MORE in the U.S. & touristy bars than in Mexico! Some stores close) ~ 8:Hidalgo Celebration ~ 10: Mother's Day (ALWAYS the sanme date, not like the changing Sundays in U.S.- I believe most females get this day off whether they're a mother or not) ~ 15-16:Sheraton Buganvilias International Sports Classic & Women's Pro-Beach Volleyball Tourneymount, Basketball clinics with ex-NBA players. Also at the municipal stadium. Party afterwards at Carlos O'Brians ~ 15:Feast of San Isidro Labrador (blessing of new seeds & animals) & Teachers Day (kids get off!) ~ 23:Students Day ~ The end of May has lots of festivities marking Puerto Vallarta's Birthday/Founder's Day (181 years old '00!) with a parade along the Malecon ('00 it started at 5pm at the Sheraton Buganvilias, along the Malecon & ended at Paraque Lazaro Cardenas-cool to watch but plan accordingly if you need to get anywhere even remotely near any of these areas??) (many activities are held on the Sunday before) & the main Plaza & great fireworks!!).
	JUNE TURTLES HATCH! (June-Sept) - See "Outdoor Activities/Water" ~ 1: Navy Day (especially colorful in Acapulco) ~ June 7: River Clean-Up ~ 24: Dia de San Juan Bautista (for St. John the Baptist, fairs & religious festivals, playful dunking of people in water) ~ Dia de San Pablo y San Pedro (Day of St. Peter & St. Paul)
	JULY TURTLES HATCH! (June-Sept) - See "Outdoor Activities/Water" ~ 2: Federal Elections (NO alcohol sold all weekend!!) ~ 16: Feast of virgin del Carmen (fiestas, pilgrimages & religious rites) ~ Late July: Feast of Santiago (MX-style rodeos) ~ National Sailfishing Tournament
	AUGUST TURTLES HATCH! (June-Sept) - See "Sports/Water" ~ 15: Feast of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary (religious processions)
	SEPTEMBER FIESTA de SEPTIEMBRE FOR INDEPENDENCE!! Another month jammed pack with celebrations & festivities!! 1: President's State of the Union 14: Charro Day (Cowboy Day-rodeos)-starts with a parade through Vallarta at 10am with Mexican horseman/horsewomen wearing traditional & beautifully ornate charro outfits & decked out horses then on to traditional rodeo celebrations (bull riding, calf roping, charro riings & food & festivities!) ~ 15 & 16: INDEPENDENCE DAY (Observing the 1821 independence from Spain!! Mayors everywhere reenact Father Hidalgo's 1810 Grito de Dolores from city hall balconies on the night of the 15th. The biggest is in Mexico City). ~ TURTLES HATCH! (June-Sept) - See "Sports/Water"
	OCTOBER 4: Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (procession & parties) ~ 12: Columbus Day (commemorates the union of the races. I was suprised this was celebrated!)
	NOVEMBER WHALE MIGRATION/WATCH (Nov-March-ish) ~ 1: International AIDS Day ~ 1: Dia de Todos Santos ("All Souls Day" honoring souls of children. Their belief is that on these days their departed descend from heaven to eat sujgar skeletons, skulls & treats on family alters. This is a VERY festive day marked to with LOTS of celebration & religious rites & processions) ~ 2: Dia de Muertos ("Day of the Dead")-honoring dead ancestors. Families visit cemeteries & decorate graves with flowers (marigold is the Aztecan sacred flower of death), tequila & favorite food of deceased. If you're there REALLY try to get out to the cemetery & honor & experience this ritual, as it's an amazing look into the culture & values of this country! ~ 4-28: FESTIVAL de las ARTES-an arts festival of music, poetry, art, dancing & more throughout Puerto Vallarta ~ 12: Guadalupe Day in Quimixto-South of Vallarta on this remote shore (accessible only by boat/panga) a morning flotilla of decorated fishing boats makes a procession along Quimixto's shoreline paying respect to the Virgin of Guadalupe ~ OCTOBERFEST-Frankfurt Restaurant-the German Garden Restaurant, basilio badillo-celebrates Octoberfest Nov 5-6 ~ 9: Beach Clean-Up (Craig 22-32541) ~ Mid-Nov: FESTIVAL GASTRONOMICO-Chefs from all over the world & Vallarta converge for this gastronomical delight & competition!! ~ Mid-Nov: FIESTA del MAR-A festival to the Sea with Sailfish & Marlin fishing Tournaments (Nov 18-20, 22-42928. It's the start of the fishing season!) & Mexico's largest BOAT SHOW-Marina (22-10106, Nov 11-14) ~ 16: Club Paco Paco's Anniversary Party (gay club) ~ 20: REVOLUTION DAY (anniversary of Mexican Revolution of 1910-1917)-marked with parades & celebrations! ~ Paul Mitchell/Dream Foundation/Fox Sports West CELBEBRITY SPORTS INVITATION-Paradise Village ~ CHILI KICK-OFF-Raises $$ for the Animal Protection Association (APA ) which feeds, spays & neuters dogs & cats, & assists with adoptions!!! GREAT CAUSE done by Lucy from CuCu Cabana!! 22-24839).
	DECEMBER WHALE MIGRATION/WATCH (Nov-March-ish) ~ 1: AIDS VIGIL/AWARENESS DAY ~ Inaguration Day (national government changes hands every 6 years-1994, 2000, 2006) ~ 8: Dia de la Purisima Concepcion (Day of Immaculate Conception) ~ 5-12: Dia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe-(festival of Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico! ~ 12: FESTIVAL OF THE VIRGIN GUADALUPE-THE culmination of 2 weeks of celebration & the Anniversary of the founding of Puerto Vallarta by Don Guadalupe Sanches in 1851!! ~ 16-24: Posada-Christmas week/season is highllighted with nightly processions & piñatas. Midnight mass on Christmas Eve. One of the most colorful traditions during the holiday season in Mexico is the Posada Party. From Dec 16th-24th a religious & social celebration takes place to commemorate Mary & Joseph's difficult lodging journey from Nazareeth to Bethlehem in search of shelter. Posada means "shelter or lodging." Each night a party is held in the neighborhood with plenty of food & drink. Musicians & adults follow the children through a religious procession of candles & singing culminating in a party & finally breaking of the Piñata. a Piñata is either a fragile earthenware jar covered in paper mache or just paper mache, traditionally made in the shape of a star (some are SOOOOO beautiful!! My favorite is the red one with gold pieces hanging from it!!). These days piñatas come in all shapes & sizes & are filled with candy, toys & sometimes pesos!!! ~ 25: CHRISTMAS
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