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 News from Around Banderas Bay | February 2007 
Festival Bahia de Banderas 2007
 Sue Fornoff - PVNN
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| | BadeBa President Jaime Cuevas, President of the Organizing Committee Fernando Gonzalez, and Tourism Director Hector Sahagun. |
This year's International Festival de Bahia de Banderas features a lineup of activities sure to interest everyone. There are sporting events for participants and spectators, a whale photo contest, a ceviche competition and plenty of entertainment.
The Festival begins on February 24th with a Charro Parade in Nuevo Vallarta starting at 1 pm. All times are given in PV time, even though the Festival is in Nayarit.
That evening a grand Fiesta Charra will take place in Punta Mita. Starting at 6 pm, the program includes a Charro exhibition, a performance by the Ballet Tintoc, presentation of the contestants for the title of Senorita Bahia de Banderas and an inaugural ceremony with Nayarit Governor Ney Gonzales. The evening will be capped off by the singer Rocio Banquells.
On Sunday, February 25th the Festival kicks into high gear.
Bahia de Banderas Tourism Director Hector Sahagun said, "This year we are having Theme Night entertainment every night of the Festival. Rather than spread the shows out between different parts of the Bahia de Banderas, we scheduled them all for a central place, El Porvenir."
The large plaza and esplanade in El Porvenir are a perfect setting for watching the action. From the Children's Night through the Comedy and Awards Night, area residents and tourists alike will be treated to top-notch entertainment.
The Theme Nights will be:
• Feb 25 Children's Night with a children's folkloric ballet, singers, magicians and clowns
• Feb 26 Bohemian Night with the Municipal Orchestra and other live music
• Feb 27 Regional Talent featuring performers from the Bahia de Banderas
• Feb 28 Night of Tradition is an evening full of folkloric dancing
• Mar.01 Hotel Spectacular will feature performers from some of the local resorts' entertainers
• Mar.02 Comedy and Awards Night will have comic Tony Luna keeping the crowd laughing
Tourism Director Sahagun encourages everyone to attend the Festival. "Tourists looking for a different type of activity should come to the Esplanade in El Porvenir to see the entertainment. There will be great displays of talent and tradition. Visitors will be surprised to see the quality and variety of regional culture."
Each night in El Porvenir, the festivities begin at 6 p.m. with the Expo Cultura-Artesanal of the municipality. Food and drinks will be available for purchase throughout the evening. The entertainment starts each evening at 7. Sahagun says there will be security, medics on duty and information booths set up to help the visitors.
Additional entertainment options are taking place as well. Pop rock radio station EXA will be hosting a concert "Noche de Bandas" in San Jose del Valle on Feb 27th at 7 pm and a second concert on the beach in Bucerias on Thursday March 1st at 7 pm.
For those who prefer participation, a kite-making and flying competition will be held at the beach in Bucerias on Sunday, February 25th. Children age 8-12 are invited to make and fly their kites that day starting at 10 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Cash prizes as well as day passes to a hotel will be awarded to the winners.
A volleyball tournament will also be held on the beach in Bucerias on Thursday, March 1. Cash prizes will be awarded in the men's and women's competitions.
At the sports fields in San Jose del Valle, a youth soccer tournament is scheduled for 11 a.m. February 26th. A basketball tournament will take place at 4 p.m. on Feb 28th pitting teams from the Bahia de Banderas against teams from Puerto Vallarta.
Bicyclists have their choice of both mountain biking and road riding events. The road race will be Sunday, February 25th starting in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle at 9 a.m. and ending 28 kms later in Jarretaderas. Racing categories go from children as young as 6 years up through master's classifications. Mountain bikers get their chance for cash and medals on February 26th at 9 a.m. in El Colomo. Racers will be able to experience the great mountain terrain in the area.
Those with an eye for photos are welcome to sign up for the whale photo contest. It begins at 10 a.m. on February 28th at Playa Anclote. Photographers will be assigned four to a panga and will have an opportunity to look for and photograph whales that day. No photos previously taken will be accepted. Winners will be announced at the Awards Night March 2nd.
The surf will be up in Sayulita for the National Surf Competition Feb. 28th - March 2nd.
And for those people who just want to play in the sand, a sand sculpture contest will be held on the beach in Bucerias on Feb 27th at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded.
If all this activity makes you hungry, then the Ceviche Contest may interest you. At noon on February 27th, right after the sand sculpture contest, samples will be given and the judges will decide on the best ceviche.
The Festival concludes on Saturday March 3rd with the Senorita Bahia de Banderas finals taking place in San Jose del Valle at 7 pm. Besides the pageant, singer Nicho Hinojosa will entertain the crowd.
The Municipality of the Bahia de Banderas stretches from the Ameca River to the south (Nayarit/Jalisco state line) to Lo de Marco in the north; and from the beaches of the Bahia to the west to the mountains past El Colomo and Aguamilpa to the east.
To get to El Porvenir, turn east from Highway 200 at Mezcales. It is after the towns of San Clemente and San Vicente. You will pass right by the Esplanade in El Porvenir. San Jose del Valle is the next town past El Porvenir. ATM buses go to both towns, look for the buses heading to San Jose or San Juan.
Local area residents and tourists are encouraged to participate in this International Festival. Bahia de Banderas President Dr. Jaime Alonzo Cuevas Tello said, "Each pueblito in our municipality has their own Fiestas Patronales and Fiesta Ejidal. This Festival is to celebrate the entire Municipality and bring us together as one. We want to show people what this area has to offer."
For more information on the Festival and how to sign up for the many activities, please email the Tourism Office at turismobadeba@yahoo.com or call them at 329-298-2109.
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