Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Get ready for the "make it, bake it, grow it" adventure that is the Old Town Farmers Market-Tianguis Cultural! We have 90+ stalls, featuring everything from fresh produce, international foods, woven baskets and Huichol art to live music and chiropractic treatments. And if you're planning to hit the beach in style, be sure to check out the beach-ready fashions of this week's featured vendor: Teresa Moreno of TY-Bikinis y Más (and More!)

Meet Teresa Moreno

Designer and seamstress, Teresa Moreno, creates some of the most elegant (and comfortable) swimsuits and beachwear you will find in the Banderas Bay area, thanks to her teacher and mother, Teresa Chavez.

"My story began in 1990 with my mom," says Moreno. "She began making dresses and school uniforms for me and my four sisters. She wanted to provide a better life for her children, and began making dresses for members of the community. Adding more skills, she also learned how to make undergarments, pajamas and fancy pieces."

Chavez was so successful that she opened her own shop. A bank loan helped her to buy sewing machines, and the new entrepreneur hired local seamstresses. An 11-year-old Moreno studied the women at work, eager to create her own clothing. "My mom taught me how to make a skirt," Moreno says. "Soon I was making my own miniskirts!"

At age 15, Moreno designed and crafted her first swimsuit. It was a big achievement, and the teen was smitten. Any free time was devoted to mastering the machines and helping her mom at the shop.

As the business grew, however, it was becoming more difficult for Chavez to leave her family and travel the two hours to Puerto Vallarta to sell her designs. The family moved to Puerto Vallarta, and the business continued to thrive. At age 18, Moreno joined the business full time.

"We had a lot of dreams and endless projects," she says. "My mom taught us how to take care of the family business, and how to work as a team." Success was sweet, but when the swine flu scare dried up business, they were forced to close their doors.

New Beginnings

Moreno forged ahead, however, not willing to give up her dreams of continuing on with the family business. Relying on faith and the support of loved ones, she began creating her own line of swimsuits and beachwear. Her goal? To help customers feel incredible in her beach-ready apparel. Moreno became an OTFM-TC vendor, and her new business took off. Her family jumped in to help, and together they have been exceeding customers' expectations season after season. Today, TY-Bikinis y Más continues to be a family business, making clothing that offers comfort and originality to its worldwide clientele.

Treat yourself to a TY-Bikinis y Más original. To learn more, contact ty-bikinis-y-mas(at)hotmail.com, +52 (322) 225-2340, +52 (322) 137-0477 (mobile) or on Facebook.

Love Yoga?

While at the market, join us for yoga classes (9:30-10:30 am) taught by instructors from Yoga Collective. We meet in the kiosk every Saturday morning through April 30th. Participation is by donation.

Meet the Market

The OTFM-TC is a North American style market that celebrates the tradition and culture of Mexico's outdoor Tianguis markets. It is also a registered non-profit/association civil organization that focuses on nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of Puerto Vallartans. All OTFM-TC products are either locally grown or handmade within 75 kilometers of the city.

You're Invited!

The OTFM-TC will be open 9:30-2 every Saturday, from November 7, 2015, to April 30, 2016. You'll find us in Lazaro Cárdenas Park, located in Vallarta's Emiliano Zapata neighborhood. For only 12 pesos an hour, you can park in the garage directly beneath park. Public buses and taxis also come this way with a Pino Suarez Street drop off.

Get Involved

Interested in becoming a new OTFM-TC vendor or volunteer? Stop by the information booth to pick up an application.

For market updates in English - and now in Spanish - please visit OldTownFM.com, and "like" us on Facebook.

Click HERE to learn more about the Puerto Vallarta Old Town Farmers' Market.