Week of February 23

Car-Free Malecón Weekends Continue, Modified
Keeping an open-door policy, Vallarta Mayor Gustavo González Villaseñor has received feedback from individuals and businesses alike regarding the car-free Malecón project that began last weekend. The program will continue, but with some modifications and enhancements. Rather than beginning Friday evenings, the Malecón will only be car-free Saturdays and Sundays. Over 1,000 parking spots have been made available through special arrangements with businesses such as Mega Comercial, Viejo Vallarta, Ley, Cine Vallarta, Rizo and several others. Twenty electric vehicles will provide free transportation to and from these locations to the Malecón. Additionally, González Villaseñor announced that he would begin dialogue with several private investors interested in developing parking lots at the Malecón de la Marina and under Lázaro Cárdenas and Hidalgo parks.

Malecón Attracts Visitors With New Cultural Offerings
As if strolling through a car-free Malecon on weekends wasn't enough, Vallarta's Department of Culture has begun offering new art-related events to entice pedestrians to come out and enjoy themselves. "Fiesta en el Malecón," in which six diverse musical ensembles participated, took place last Friday evening. On Saturday, "Malecón Arte," an outdoor art exhibition featuring the work of 38 local visual artists, was inaugurated by Vallarta Mayor Gustavo González Villaseñor along with new Department of Culture head Manuel Santana. Finally, couples of all ages danced to "Noche Romántica," a banda concert offered on Sunday evening at the main plaza bandstand to commemorate Valentine’s Day. An English translator was on hand to explain these new events to the many foreign visitors who attended the events. Expect similar events to continue taking place on upcoming weekends.

Mexican Film Festival Announced
Following in the steps of the successful John Huston Film Festival, Centro Universitario de la Costa Dean Jeffrey Steven Fernández announced the upcoming Mexican/Latin-American Film Festival to take place March 26 - April 1 in Puerto Vallarta. Forty films will be screened during the festival at diverse locations, including the Bahía and Versalles movie theaters, L'Opera and Isla Cuale. Special awards will be offered to acclaimed Mexican actor Ignacio López Tarso and academy award winner Vittorio Storaro, who participated in films such as "Zapata," "The Last Emperor" and "Apocalypse Now."

Mexicana to Open New Flights to Vallarta
Challenged by the increasing success of charter airlines, Mexicana Airlines is forced to rethink its strategies as it approaches its 50-year anniversary. In a press conference, Mexicana manager Gabriela García recently stated that new national and international flights to Vallarta would be announced in the coming weeks. Additionally, new partnerships with Iberia and American Airlines were consolidated during the recent Fitur travel fair that took place in Madrid.

Week of February 16

Car-Free Malecón Weekend Successful, Mostly
In a bold move by Vallarta's new administration, the Malecón was closed to vehicular traffic this weekend for the first time as part of a new pilot program. The results were successful for the most part, as pedestrians had the opportunity to walk the eight-block stretch from Hotel Rosita to the seahorse sculpture without having to worry about incoming traffic. Sizeable changes in a city's habits are likely to take time to settle and cause some disturbances, and this was no exception. While some merchants praised the move and showed increased sales, others blamed the program, arguing that visitors were unable to walk eight blocks (or less!) to get to their stores. However, the general move was positive and business owners and pedestrians cheered Vallarta’s new mayor, Gustavo González Villaseñor, as he walked the Malecón Friday afternoon to personally supervise the operation. The pilot program is expected to continue in subsequent weekends.

"Puerto Vallarta Squeeze" Screening Announced
The Puerto Vallarta Film Festival has announced a benefit premiere of the film "Puerto Vallarta Squeeze," which was shot locally during the winter of 2002. Starring Harvey Keitel and Scott Glenn, the film is based on the book of the same name by Robert James Waller, whose "Bridges of Madison County" was also successfully adapted for the screen. The screening will take place Saturday, February 21, at 7:30 pm at Cine Bahía with some members of the cast and crew in attendance. General seating will be $100 pesos per person. Screening with priority seating plus reception/buffet/open bar at Vista Grill Restaurant will be $350 pesos per person. Tickets can be purchased by calling 222-3593 or at the offices of "Vallarta Lifestyles," Timón 1, Marina Vallarta.

Merchants Pitch In to Beautify Vallarta’s Medina Ascencio
The local Department of Ecology is wrapping up a major proposal to beautify 10 kilometers of Blvd. Fco. Medina Ascencio, from the Ameca river overpass to the city entrance. To accomplish this, businesses located along Vallarta’s most important artery are being asked to make financial contributions to the project. So far, the response has been favorable. If the fundraising effort is successful, the Department of Ecology estimates that the project will be completed in three months.

Navy League Strikes Three
The local chapter of the United States Navy League has had a busy couple of weeks, coordinating the arrival of three US Navy vessels. Thirty crewmembers from the USS Preble volunteered to paint the Nicolás Bravo Elementary School. Close on the heels of the Preble, the USS Curts carried two large truckloads of medical supplies, which were distributed to the Red Cross, the Navy Hospital and the Regional Hospital. The next ship was the USCGC Mellon, whose crew volunteered an entire morning of their normal leave time to paint the new addition to the RISE Orphanage.

Week of February 9

Malecón Goes Car-Free on Weekends
Vallarta pedestrians and tourists alike will have a new reason to take a stroll down the Malecón. Fulfilling one of his first promises made after he came to office, newly elected Vallarta Mayor Gustavo González Villaseñor announced a car-free pilot program in which no vehicles will travel down this charming part of town during weekends. This program remains in effect from Fridays at 5 pm to Mondays at 5 am. To facilitate traffic through other downtown streets, parking on Morelos, Juárez, Hidalgo and Guadalupe Sánchez will not be allowed during the weekends. To assist drivers, González Villaseñor established a partnership with several nearby businesses that own parking lots, which will be available to the public. A thorough public awareness campaign will take place between now and Friday, February 13, when the car-free program is expected to begin.

Downtown City Hall Offices to be Relocated
All government offices presently located at City Hall will be relocated elsewhere before year’s end, announced Vallarta Mayor Gustavo González Villaseñor this week. Hundreds of Vallarta citizens must conduct business - pay for permits, taxes, etc. - at City Hall every day, requiring places to park their vehicles, not to mention employees with similar needs. The relocation of City Hall offices will help decrease traffic problems in the downtown area. Several locations around the city are presently under consideration for this ambitious project.

Tickets for Fiesta Blanca Available
Tickets are now available for Fiesta Blanca's fifth annual fundraising event for Organización Vallarta Contra el Sida, the local AIDS prevention organization. An event that is as popular as it is successful among Vallartenses, Fiesta Blanca will take place Sunday, February 29, at Hotel Molino de Agua. As in previous years, the event will include exquisite food prepared by Vallarta top restaurants, a silent auction with works of art donated by local artists, live music and much more. Tickets are $500 pesos each and include an all-you-can-eat menu and open bar. Purchase tickets at Le Bistro or by calling 222-0283.

Santa Barbara Dinner Theater to Stage “Sylvia”
Theater director Beverly Rose recently announced that casting for her upcoming production of A.R. Gurney’s hilarious comedy “Sylvia” has been completed. A prolific writer, Gurney also wrote “Love Letters,” a popular play. The production will run March 4 through March 27 with Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances and a Sunday matinee. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Please call 222-4477 for more information.

Week of February 2

Eighth Latin-American Film Festival Coming to Puerto Vallarta
Dates have been set for the upcoming Latin-American Film Festival - March 26 to April 1 - in Puerto Vallarta for the eighth time. An extension of the larger event that takes place annually in Guadalajara, the selection of films extended to Vallarta help place our city as a destination where film-related activities continue to be an important part of the goals set forth by the new administration. The event will be co-sponsored by the local branch of the University of Guadalajara (CUC) and Vallarta's Department of Culture. An important event highlight will be a special award presented to Ignacio López Tarzo, a well-known Mexican film and TV actor, in recognition for his long and prosperous career.

Vallarta Airport to Expand with New Building
Manuel Lopez Macouzet, director of Vallarta's international airport recently announced the construction of a new building designed to exclusively handle charter flights. Construction is scheduled to begin next month, with an expected construction period of twelve months and a $44 million peso investment.

Convention Center Construction To Begin in April
Recently elected Vallarta Mayor Gustavo González Villaseñor announced that construction of the much-heralded convention center would begin March 31. The site for the convention center will be a piece of land located next to the protected marsh area known as "El Salado". Private, local, state, and federal funding will be required to complete the project, with an estimated cost of $25-40 million USD. Addressing concerns from environmental groups, the mayor declared that "El Salado", a 15 hectare protected marsh area, would not be used in the construction of the convention center.