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 News from Around Banderas Bay | May 2007 
Mariachi Madness - Vallarta's 89th Anniversary Party
 PVNN
| | Throughout the evening, the Malecón will be alive with activities and local vendors offering all kinds of local treats. When the music stops, a fantastic fireworks display over Banderas Bay closes the anniversary celebrations with a bang. |
Vihuelas, guitars, guitarrones and trumpets will fill the Malecón with notes of Mariachi music when three bands, The New Tecatitlan Mariachi, Los Toritos, and the Navidad Mariachi from Mascota get together on May 31st to celebrate Puerto Vallarta’s anniversary.
Puerto Vallarta has a long and colorful history. As a natural harbor, and privileged with the huge bay that extends from Punta de Mita on the north to Cabo Corrientes on the south, and fed by waters from rivers and streams that flow to the sea, this area was the seat of pre-Hispanic settlements, which provided rich treasures for the Spanish conquerors.
In the 16th Century, Spanish seamen moored their vessles in the calm, protective waters of the Bay while they loaded up with local seafood, fruit, vegetables and firewood, before continuing on their way north to Baja California.
The area surrounding the Bay was then called "Ciutla" (meaning feathers and grassland) by the Indians until 1851, when Guadalupe Sanchez Torres, a salt-shipper from inland Jalisco, decided to move his family to live here. He named the small fishing village "Las Penas de Santa Maria de Guadalupe" because the day that he arrived (December 12) marked the day of the traditional celebration and procession honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe, which continues to be a tradition today.
By 1900, Las Penas had grown to nearly 2000 residents, and in 1918, it became a municipality and was named "Puerto Vallarta" after Ignacio Vallarta, the former Governor of the State of Jalisco.
As late as the 1960's, Puerto Vallarta was still a small fishing village of under 10,000 residents. However, when John Huston decided to choose Mismaloya Beach (just south of Puerto Vallarta) as the site for the filming of the movie, "The Night of the Iguana," it didn't take long for things to change.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had houses built in town. Reporters wrote articles about the quaint little Mexican fishing village. Soon after, hotels and restaurants began to spring up everywhere. And now, some 40 years later, Puerto Vallarta has grown to its current population of about 350,000 people.
On May 31st, 2007, Puerto Vallarta will be celebrating it's 89th year as a municipality and 39th as a city by hosting a big celebration featuring free concerts, fireworks and activities at the Los Arcos Amphitheater on the Malecón.
This year, the Cultural Department has been charged with the organization of the celebration, and it promises to be a gala affair! The fun begins around 9 pm as three bands, The New Tecatitlan Mariachi, Los Toritos, and the Navidad Mariachi from Mascota get together to pay homage to the city and the municipality.
Mariachi goes beyond music, it is the sum of a cultural revolution expressed through a group of musicians dressed in traditional clothing that encompasses the essence of Mexico and its people. It is something cultural, spiritual and traditional that is unique to this country - so what better way to celebrate this important occassion than with Mariachi Music on the Malecón?
The three bands, each with a long and successful career as ambassadors of Mexico’s music both within and beyond the borders of the country, will do what they do best as they help us celebrate these two important anniversaries through a concert that is expected to last for about three hours.
Throughout the evening, the Malecón will be alive with activities and local vendors offering all kinds of local treats. When the music stops, a fantastic fireworks display over Banderas Bay closes the anniversary celebrations with a bang. |
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