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Aero Pacifico opens new route to Puerto Vallarta
As announced by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Aero Pacífico will be opening a new air route from Puerto Vallarta to Colima January 7. In a 19-seat Metro-type airplane, the flight will leave Puerto Vallarta daily Monday through Friday with further possibilities of connecting with other cities such as Morelia and Lázaro Cárdenas from Colima.

New show offered by Theatre Vallarta
Followed by the recent success of Spotlight Players, Santa Barbara Restaurant will be offering a new dinner theater production starting January 9. This time it is one of Puerto Vallarta’s favorite theater groups, Theater Vallarta, directed by Eileen O’Leary, long-time Vallarta resident. "Play On," a comedy written by Rick Abbot, will be performed every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. followed by the play. For reservations call (322) 222-4477.

Third blue moon of the year
During the next few days of December, we will be able to witness the month's second full moon, a phenomenon which experts call a "blue moon." Like the famous expression “once in a blue moon”, a second full moon in a single calendar month occurs rarely. On average it is estimated that a blue moon once every two and a half years. However, this year it is the third blue moon, the first two occurred in October and November, the second being particularly beautiful.

Surprise art exhibition in Puerto Vallarta
As a result of the artist’s surprise arrival in Puerto Vallarta, a small exhibition has been organized at Gallerie des Artistes to host the paintings of Alfonso Peña with a presentation cocktail starting December 28 at 7 p.m. Alfonso Peña is a very interesting modernist painter from Monterrey, who has just arrived from his recent exhibition in the U.S. at the Atlanta Expo Trade Show.

New cinema club in Vallarta
Ulises Iñiguez and José Basco have organized a new cinema club for locals to enjoy a good selection of classic films by artistic directors at the Public Library. The video films are provided by the University of Guadalajara and after each film session, a cultural exchange takes place among participants to discuss the film and director. The next scheduled director will be Stanley Kubrick, and his feature film "Space Odessy 2001" will be the first film shown on January 11 to celebrate this director’s cinematographic career. Films are shown every Friday at 6 p.m. and in their original language.

Posadas in Vallarta
Las Posadas is a Mexican tradition, which evokes the moment when Joseph and the Virgin Mary went around the streets of Bethlehem asking for shelter for the night. On December 16, this ritual is reenacted in traditional neighborhoods, where families join in a procession, singing Christmas carols and knocking on three different doors, voicing their petition with sung dialogue. A live representation of Joseph and Mary on a donkey or symbolic statuettes lead the procession, guided by a small lantern. This is the traditional posada, which is beautifully celebrated at the boutique hotel Hacienda Cora every year in Puerto Vallarta. Today, posadas have become more of a social gathering for people to enjoy dinner and celebrate the arrival of Christmas with friends. Posadas are held at any time before Christmas Eve.

Mega Comercial opens new store in Vallarta
With a record breaking speed, the Mega Comercial opened Saturday 15. The place was practically invaded by locals during the weekend, and discounts of 20-40 percent were offered on many of its items. While the new store offers a similar variety as other Comercials, there are more products available and is adequately planned for with comfortable parking area and sliding escalators for trolleys.

New restaurant opens in Vallarta
Just where Moby Dick used to be, the new Mexican restaurant Azteca was officially inaugurated on December 8. Owners Jaime Marcos and Mauro Ramos, who have several other restaurant enterprises in the U.S., are very confident with this new enterprise in Puerto Vallarta. Azteca offers some of Mexico’s most traditional recipes, as well as some of America’s favorites. A good combination for mixed demand of both Mexican and American tourists and locals.

Live performance explodes in celebration
Many restaurants in Vallarta are now offering their Christmas and New Year’s Eve menus. So, if you are planning to eat out, it is a good idea to browse around to make your reservations. River Café is starting the new year with a grand celebration featuring Willie & Lobo and Beverly & Willow together in a live performance, an explosive combination of artists that will make the 31st of December a night to remember.

Daniel Espinosa comes to Vallarta
Melissa Suneson opened a new jewelry shop on Aldama with original designs by Daniel Espinosa, one of the most uninhibited designers in Mexico who created new languages in Mexican silver. Born in Taxco, the cradle of silversmiths, he learned his trade and furthered his design career at the Gemeological Institute of America in the U.S., launching his first collection in 1997. His aesthetic criteria, fashion awareness and instinctive vision combine to bring life to his original designs, which will awaken unsuspected desires to compulsively buy, including the most daring extravaganza.

World billfishing tournament at Paradise Village
Nuevo Vallarta’s Paradise Village Resort and Marina was the headquaters for the fourth annual WBS (World Billfishing Series) Billfishing Championship Tournament. The WBS holds 30 tournaments a year with some 30,000 anglers participating. The three top anglers are chosen from seven regions throughout the world and are invited to participate in the world championship tournament. The 2001 winner of the coveted title of world champion of billfishing is Bruce Bosley of Yakima, Washington. Bruce caught six sailfish during the tournament, four on 30-pound test and two on 50-pound test. The 2002 WBS World Championship tournament is scheduled to be held once again in the beautiful Bay of Banderas and Paradise Village Resort and Marina. You can find out all the latest information and join the WBS by going online to WorldBillfishingSeries.com

Additional touring option gets "homey"
As well as visiting the downtown area and strolling the streets of Puerto Vallarta, there is a very popular tour that takes you through four of Vallarta’s most beautiful homes. This Private Home Tour is organized by the International Friendship Club on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week through April. Tickets are on sale at the Molino de Agua Hotel, just over the bridge heading for the Southside, and the party leaves from here at 11 a.m. A $300-peso donation is welcome to help raise funds for Vallarta’s charities. For more information call (322) 222-5466.

Convention of Sister-Cities starts in September
A committee of counselors at City Hall, who travelled to Santa Barbara, Calif., in September have recently announced Puerto Vallarta will hos the annual Convention of Sister-Cities United States-Mexico in September 2002. The Committee of Sister-Cities was founded 30 years ago to establish long-term relationships, promote cultural exchange between cities with a similar characteristics and goals, and to carry out the widest possible diversity of activities including business and municipal projects.

Jazz venue a favorite in the city
A very special jazz night is beginning to draw locals’s attention at the Blanco y Negro music club located behind Blockbusters. Mexican troubador Jaime Martínez and bassist Tito are regular performers, though most of Puerto Vallarta’s top musicians stop by after their gigs for a great jazz session every Saturday night at 12:30 a.m., just after midnight.

Miss Jalisco is a Puerto Vallarta native
Miss Bernadette González Mejía from Puerto Vallarta received her award for “Miss Guadalajara” at the Degollado Theater in Guadalajara last Wednesday. Bernadette will go on to compete in “Miss Mexico” and other beauty pageants such as “Miss Queen of the World” in Germany and “Miss Pacific” in the Philippines and "Miss World Tourism" in Spain. González is ultimately heading for “Miss World” and “Miss Universe”contests, and who knows, she might must just make it.

Fundraiser announced in Vallarta
"Origin and Destiny" is a sculpture space with several art pieces by Pedro Tello, which will be placed on the Malecon opposite Allende St. In order to finance the new project, a party gathered at La Bodeguita del Medio to announce the original marketing promotion. For all those who may be interested in leaving their name and trace of their footprint right on the Malecón, bronce molds will be sold and placed around the sculpture project for $100.000 pesos. A Vallartan version of a Hollywood tradition, though footprints seem more appropiate for Vallarta for locals are known are knick-named “Salty Feet” in Mexico. For more information on this project you may call Karla Moreno marketing coordinator at 044 322 29 43034.