Riviera Nayarit, Mexico - From December 21st through the 29th afternoons in San Francisco, Nayarit, will be filled with art and culture thanks to the celebration of the 8th annual Sinergiarte Festival.

This year the focus is "Trails: Why Do We Leave Them Behind?" a topic that involves analysis and a conscience that runs the gamut, from the most minimalist of actions to the holistic and historical heritage of humanity at large.

Riviera Nayarit offers its visitors communities with very unique attractions outside of the realm of the all-inclusive. The San Pancho Collective has been in action since 2006 to position its special contribution within the sphere of cultural tourism.

"It’s our very fondest wish for San Pancho to be recognized as the artistic cultural center of the ecological and communitarian efforts in Riviera Nayarit; we believe this is the avenue through which feel our tourism can diversify and enhance the welfare of this area," said Erik Saracho, a member of the Collective and director of the Jaguar Alliance.

The San Pancho Collective brings together a group of national and foreign artists. Since its foundation it has worked to promote and facilitate the creative and cultural process to benefit the community and its visitors.

"We’re interested in preserving the environment for everyone’s benefit and we consider art and culture to be the best way to reach the people," he added.

The Sinergiarte Festival has evolved year after year. This year’s cultural week will include a pilgrimage so everyone can observe and participate in the festival itself.

Luz Herrera, coordinator for the San Pancho Collective, underlined the importance of offering the visitor something more than fun in the sun: a tourism that involves the creation and awakening of the conscience through creativity.

"It’s fantastic that entities such as the Riviera Nayarit CAB support the direction we’re giving our tourism, this enrichment that’s not just about consumption but also about contribution. The support we have received was key and very valuable," said Herrera.

She invited communities to connect through events in order to support each other through artist and space exchanges, and come together to collaborate and obtain better results.

Music, dance, theater, circus, painting, sculpture, performance, literature, audiovisual, photography, gastronomy, handicrafts, and workshops will all be offered in different locations throughout the community.

San Francisco, a village in Riviera Nayarit that once housed warehouses for industrial purposes, has now been transformed into what the Collective calls the "factories of the Cultural Center of San Pancho."

For more information, including directions and a schedule of events, check out their facebook page.