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New Art Gallery in Vallarta
Galeria Nova, a new gallery on the Vallarta art scene, is the enterprise of Nora Adriá, longtime resident of Vallarta and an enthusiastic promoter of Catalan artist Manuel Adriá. A great connoisseur of art, the fruit of her active participation in her husband’s artistic milieu, she seems ideally suited to being a great art dealer. Though Manuel’s work will be on permanent exhibition, Nora also intends to promote other artists. So, along with that blend of suave Mediterranean accents with Mexican imaginative explosiveness, which characterize Manuel´s paintings, we will also have the opportunity to enjoy other innovative creations. Already on exhibition is the work of local artist Francisco San Miguel, Josselyne Marmottan and Cuansé from Mexico City.

Air Canada Offers Special Fare to Vallarta
Beginning November 3, Air Canada is offering a direct Toronto-Puerto Vallarta flight for $399 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The flight from Toronto leaves at 9:25 am and arrives in Puerto Vallarta at 1:45 pm, the return is scheduled for 2:45 pm landing in Toronto at 8:35 pm. The rates are only valid if you purchase your ticket before November 15, 2001, and reservations must be made a minimum of three days before departure. This reduced rate will only be valid until December 15, 2001. For further information, you can call Air Canada free of charge at 01-800-719-2827.

New Bookstore in Downtown Vallarta
A new air-conditioned bookstore has recently opened downtown. It is located at Corona 172 and is addressed mainly to a bilingual community offering a wide selection of works by Latin American writers translated into English, as well as guide books and a wide selection of magazines in both English and Spanish.

Celebrities at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta
From October 24 to 28, a number of celebrities will be staying at Paradise Village, participating in a variety of sporting events and enjoying a few days by the ocean. From the second astronaut to step on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, to the current award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, as well as many other well-known actors such as Lorenzo Lamas and Priscilla Presley. All have joined Marjoe Gortner, producer of the event, to help raise funds for the Dream Foundation. On Oct. 27, guests will enjoy a gala evening with Peter Frampton in concert. Tickets for the dinner are $150 USD and are available from the concierge at the hotel.

Vallarta Restaurant Takes Silver
Bocuse d’Or is the most coveted award in the world of cuisine, as it is an international competition that assembles the top chefs of each country every two years in Lyons, France. The national finals to select the chef who would represent Mexico were recently held in Mexico City. Café des Artistes was there representing Puerto Vallarta with Chef Leopoldo Cortés and his assistant Sergio López, and in the services category, Octavio Araiza. Both won silver medals and just missed winning the contest as it was a very debated decision for expert juries. This is the 7th year in a row that Café des Artistes participated in this event, creating a name for itself as a school of gourmet chefs.

Halloween Night at De Santos
On the 31st of October, De Santos is celebrating a Halloween party with Mexican accents inspired by the Day of the Dead, during which the dead are believed to visit the Earth and the memory of those departed is honored with vigils and altars. There is a strong humorous touch to this festivity, as it is believed that by resurrecting the spirit of those loved ones with their favorite foods, music and possessions, their joy of living will remain in our presence forever. A costume is required o attend the De Santos party, as there will be a contest with prizes, which include a night for two at the Marriott Hotel.

Air-conditioned Taxis in Vallarta
In an effort to improve the image of Puerto Vallarta, the city's Department of Economic Promotion, the Jalisco Fund for Business Promotion and Nissan Mexicana have reached an agreement to install air conditioning in all Vallarta taxi cabs. Financial support will amount to $10 million pesos. This is a very enterpresing and positive measure to modernize the services Puerto Vallarta provides and assures tourists a "cool" welcome to paradise.

Conference on Manuel Lepe in Vallarta
Only recently a very interesting conference on the painter Toulouse Lautrec was hosted in La Petite France. On October 17th another cultural gathering will take place at the restaurant´s Mezzanine to discuss and admire the work of Vallarta’s most promiment artist, Manuel Lepe, as well as his contribution to the town’s artistic scenery. For further details, please call Mónica at La Petite France: (3) 293-0900.

Disney in Vallarta
A children’s show is staged every Saturday in Vallarta recreating the stories of traditional fairy tales and Disney characters such as Alice in Wonderland and Aladin, as well as more recent productions such as Beauty and the Beast and Toy Story. Children are delighted with the presence of their favorite characters on stage. The choreography and music are prepared by enthusiastic animators.The magic begins at 9:30 pm every Saturday at the discotheque Factory at the Hotel Crown Paradise Resort.

Film Festival in Vallarta
Cinema Bahía will be hosting an International Film Exhibition October 19 - 25. The inauguration ceremony will be held at 9 pm at the theater, and details of the exhibiting films and calendar are expected to be available around October 15th. Copies of scheduled events are also distributed at Rizo’s supermarket.

Vallarta Author to Release New Book
Gil Gevins, a 20-year resident of Puerto Vallarta, has given us a remarkably funny and varied collection of stories titled 49 Brain Cells based on his experiences as an expatriate living in Mexico. Although their principal aim is to entertain, these stories also give the reader a comprehensive view, albeit through a slightly damaged lens, of what life is really like for an American living in the land of mescal and mariachis. On Nov 10, Gil will be presenting and signing his book at Lucy’s Cabaña from 7pm to 10pm.

Vallarta Officially Hosting 2002 Tournament
On October 3, the GPA officially announced that the World Golf Championships-EMC World Cup 2002 would be held in Puerto Vallarta. This important event will be held December 10-15, 2002, at the Vista Vallarta Golf Club.
With six impressive golf courses (two of these under construction), Vallarta is rapidly becoming one of the best golf locations in the world.

Vallarta Art Season Set to Open
The art season in Vallarta is set to officially open on Halloween, Wednesday, October 31, with the return of the ever-popular Old Town Art Walks. So, you can pretend you're trick or treating as you stroll around beautiful downtown Vallarta, stopping in for "treats" at the numerous participating galleries.

Book About Vallarta Re-released
"The Vallarta I Remember" is the title of a book written by Catalina Montes de Oca de Contreras, which was published in the 80s and sold out completely at the time. This biographical account of the author's life in Vallarta is a treasured testimony of the history of this town dating back to 1918. In view of the interest shown by local students, Vallartans and tourists, the University of the Coast offered its economic support to print a new edition with 4.000 copies, which includes an English translation. With more than 345 pages and photographic material. this new edition promises to be another hit.

Vallarta Lures Cinematographers
Vallarta has always been a favorite cinematographic location and holds the second position behind Veracruz for the number of films and TV series it has staged.
Two new films will be filmed in Vallarta during the month of October. With a staff of 70 people, a Mexican film called "Tiempo Fuera," will be shot in different locations downtown and at the Westin Regina Hotel from October 14 to 27. The other film is a Platinum Pictures production called the "Guatemala Incident," which will be shot entirely in Yelapa.