Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, 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 local happenings and community announcements, plus a couple of upcoming events that you won't want to miss.

ART VallARTa Opens ART Theater

ART VallARTa is pleased to have expanded its facilities to include an intimate theater in the Heart of the Romantic Zone. The theater serves as a lecture area, classroom as well as artistic performance space. Lights are on in the theater for the first time in years. A charming bamboo theater with basic theatrical lighting, big speakers, digital projection... the stuff multimedia artists love... Bring it on! ART VallARTa encourages playwrights, performance artist and film makers to submit works that can be performed on a small stage. Teaching opportunities in the theater are also available. For more information, send an email to info(at)artvallarta.com.

Democrats Abroad Mexico Costa Banderas Last Summer Get Together

The Costa Banderas Chapter of Democrats Abroad Mexico is hosting our Last Summer Get Together before the Mid-terms on Tuesday, September 30th at CC Slaughter's Lounge. (Don't worry, the men will keep their clothes on, unless otherwise instructed!) Join us from 6 to 8 pm for Happy Hour prices on the drinks, both beer and liquor. CC Slaughter's is located at Lazaro Cardenas #254 (corner of Ignacio Vallarta) on the South Side of Puerto Vallarta. Come on over, and we can enjoy one another's company and maybe talk a little politics. For more information, send an email to cb.democratsabroad(at)gmail.com.

Riviera Nayarit Bird Conservation Workshops

From now through March 2015, approximately 10 Riviera Nayarit communities will be offering bird conservation workshops, called "Developing Abilities for the Conservation of Birds in Coastal Communities of Nayarit." With the goal of encouraging children and adults who live in the coastal communities to participate in ecotourism activities, while monitoring Riviera Nayarit's resident and migratory birds, the project is a joint effort made by the San Pancho Bird Observatory in collaboration with the Klamath Bird Observatory in Ashland, Oregon, the rotary clubs of Ashland, Bahía de Jaltemba in Mexico, and others around the United States. Up to 15 people can participate in each of the bi-monthly workshops, which will be held at the San Pancho, Sayulita-San Ignacio, Punta de Mita-Higuera Blanca, Lo de Marcos, Villa Morelos, Chacala and La Peñita de Jaltemba-Guayabitos-Los Ayala community centers. For more information, please contact San Pancho Bird Observatory Director, Luis Morales, at birdingsanpancho(at)gmail.com.

Support Banderas Bay Women's Shelter by Shopping at Amazon

Get a jump-start on your Christmas shopping while supporting the Banderas Bay Women's Shelter! By shopping online at Smile.Amazon.com, you can find wonderful gifts for everyone on your list and support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate .5% of the purchase price to Compassion for the Family, the local group that is building an emergency shelter for women who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. Compassion for the Family began building the Banderas Bay area's only domestic violence shelter on July 7, 2011, but the project's funding depends on private donations, fund raisers, grants and volunteers, so Click HERE to go to Amazon and start shopping now. Don't wait, Christmas is just around the corner!

Upcoming Events in Puerto Vallarta and Around Banderas Bay
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• 2014 World Tourism Day Celebrations in Vallarta

• Kaiser Maximilian Celebrates Las Fiestas Patrias

• Introduction to Opera Lecture at Teatro Vallarta