Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - There's always so much going on in Puerto Vallarta and around Banderas Bay it can be difficult to keep up with it all. Here's a look at some of this week's Vallarta news headlines, a couple of community announcements, and a few upcoming local events that you won't want to miss.

Botanical Gardens "Salute to Vallarta!"

"Salute to Vallarta!" this year's Vallarta Botanical Gardens member-appreciation event will be held on Tuesday, February 8, from 9 am to 6 pm. Not a member yet? Please take the opportunity to join us now or to purchase a membership at the Gardens when you next visit us, or even on the day of the event. Early birds are welcome to join us at 9 am for coffee and complimentary birding tours led by environmental educator Joel Villaseñor Hernández. Festivities will include live Mariachi performances, El Tuito Folkloric Dancers, a DJ and children's activities including a traditional festive piñata. Our favorite part of this event is the opportunity to socialize with our members and thank them for helping us turn our vision of conservation and beauty into a reality for our region. A complimentary Mexican Buffet and open bar will be served from 1 to 3:30 pm for those with current membership (bring your membership card with you please). Parking is extremely limited on this day, so car pools, taxis, public transportation is highly recommended. For more information, call (322) 223-6182.

Frontier Airlines Launches New Seasonal Links to Puerto Vallarta

Frontier Airlines, the US low-cost carrier, increased its seasonal offering with two new services to Puerto Vallarta, both operated on behalf of Apple Vacations utilizing the airline’s 138-seat A319s. With the longest sector being the 3,119-kilometer service from Lansing, MI launched on January 24, and the shortest being inaugurated on January 27 from Rockford, IL at 2,826-kilometers. Both seasonal routes are operated weekly, Fridays until April 25 and Mondays until April 21 respectively. Both airport pairs will face no competition from other carriers.

Riviera Nayarit Announces the San Blas Carnival

During a recent press conference, the Board of Directors of the San Blas Carnival announced that this year’s event will be celebrated from February 8th through March 4th of this year. This festival has 104 years of history to its name and was reinstated four years ago. According to Doris Vázquez, President of the San Blas Hotel and Motel Association and part of the Committee that is reviving the festival, this is a very unique carnival in Nayarit thanks to its music, parties, parades, costumes, and the cultural and artistic events. Attractions include the Quema del Mal Humor (burning of bad humor) that takes place in the main plaza, the coronation of the juvenile regents, plus comedy, art and culture shows. The crowning of the queen is a traditional event that generates a lot of interest; the selection process is very involved in order to choose the beauty that will represent San Blas. A float parade and a big dance to the beat of regional Mexican music will bring the festivities to a close on March 4.

Puerto Vallarta Electronics Recycling Campaign

As part of the city's efforts to take care of our local environment, Puerto Vallarta's Department of Municipal Services invites everyone to participate in 'Electroacopio 2014,' an inter-municipal campaign for the collection and recycling of unused/unwanted electronics. On February 14th and 15th from 8 am to 6 pm, collections points will be set up at the Department of Environment and Ecology, Calle Pelícanos No. 136 in Colonia Los Sauces; and in the main square of Ixtapa, where citizens can drop off unused/unwanted computers, video game consoles, hard drives, laptops, telecommunications devices, televisions, cell phones, ipods, keyboards, mice, monitors, printers and copiers, faxes, palm pilots, DVD players, CD and MP3 players, projectors, small appliances, microwave ovens, stereos, etc. No air conditioners or large appliances will be accepted. Another collection point, exclusively for local businesses, schools and universities that have large quantities of this type of waste, will be open at the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center on February 14th & 15th from 8 am to 6 pm. Participating companies will be presented with a certificate for the responsible destruction and recycling of waste. All of the electronic waste collected will be delivered to Belmont Trading Company that has the appropriate certifications for these tasks. For more information, call the Department of Environment and Ecology at (322) 222-0120 and 224-8506, or check out their Facebook page.

Upcoming Events in Puerto Vallarta and around Banderas Bay
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• Live Entertainment at the Paradise Community Center

• Condos, Casas & Cocktails: FREE Real Estate Seminars

• Armi Grano Performs at VYC for Families at the Dump

• Celebración Para Los Niños to Benefit RISE & Sendero

From February 4th through December 31st, thousands of BanderasNews.com readers voted for the city’s greatest tastes in our 2013 Best of Banderas Bay Awards, the first edition of an annual poll that encourages our readers to vote for their favorite Puerto Vallarta restaurants. To ensure that the results reflect the unbiased opinions of Vallarta residents and visitors, the votes are now being counted by a team of independent judges, and the winner of each category will be named 'The Best of Banderas Bay' at an awards ceremony scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. Keep watching BanderasNews for details.