Puerto Vallarta, 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 of this week's Puerto Vallarta news, community announcements, plus some weekend events that you won't want to miss.

Barefoot por Vallarta Beach Cleanup July 9-11

As part of the part of the #WorldBeachRescueDay movement that will be celebrated simultaneously in eleven countries on July 9, the second edition of the "Barefoot por Vallarta" beach cleanup program, sponsored by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, the National Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Services (CANACO Servytur) and the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, is set to take place July 9 to 11 on several Banderas Bay beaches. The World Beach Rescue Day movement, which began more than 20 years ago in the United States, aims to built a collective awareness about keeping our beaches clean and the preserving the natural environment. Over 100 volunteers participated in last year's event, when 400 bags of garbage was removed from local beaches. This year, the Barefoot por Vallarta beach cleanup will begin with Camarones Beach, near the Commercial Mexicana in Puerto Vallarta's Hotel Zone, on Saturday, July 9th from 8 am to 1 pm. On Sunday, July 10th it will move to the beach in front of El ETC. Restaurant and Beach Club, between the Marival Grand and Dreams Villamagna Resorts in Nuevo Vallarta, on the same schedule. On Monday, July 11, volunteers will return to Puerto Vallarta to clean up Flamingos Beach, near the Fiesta Americana in the Hotel Zone, from 8 am to 1 pm. Volunteers will receive a cleaning kit, including a biodegradable plastic bag and a cloth gloves. For more information (in Spanish), please visit BarefootPorVallarta.mx.

ConComics Puerto Vallarta 2016 at Los Mangos, July 9 & 10

On July 9 & 10th from 12-6 pm, PV's Public Library, Biblioteca Los Mangos, will host ConComics Puerto Vallarta 2016, a multi-genre entertainment and comic convention similar to Comic-Con events in the US, but on a smaller scale. This year's event will welcome Mauren Mendo, the singer of the Saint Seiya/Los Caballeros del Zodiaco theme song; Oscar Roa, who sings of Pokémon-themed songs, fandubber and singer of Phineas and Ferb and 7D, Marc Winslow; and, for the first time in Mexico, Leisha Medina, the voice of Steven Universe. ConComics Puerto Vallarta 2016 will also feature all kinds of contests - from singing and dancing to all kinds of cosplay (costume roleplay) competitions, including cosplay performances, a catwalk and a children's cosplay contest. For more information (in Spanish) on how to enter the contests, click HERE. There will also be all kinds of tournaments, so you can test your gaming skills in games like Rubiks Cube, Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat XL, Super Smash Bros Wii U and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Click HERE for tournament rules. One day tickets to ConComics Puerto Vallarta 2016 cost $80 pesos and are available at the door. A two-day, all-inclusive pass, which includes a special edition surprise gift, costs just $130 pesos and can be purchased online via Paypal at concomics.com. Children under 4 feet tall get in free! Come join the fun!

Vallarta Botanical Garden Needs Artists for Upcoming Exhibition

Puerto Vallarta's largest shopping mall, Plaza Galerías, has invited the Vallarta Botanical Garden to organize another nature-based art exhibition, this time with the specific theme of "Birds and Their Habitats." The exhibit is scheduled to be featured in the mall's main events hall (in front of the Liverpool Department Store) from September 17th to October 13, 2016. Afterwards, the exhibit will travel to the University of Guadalajara's local coastal campus until mid November and finally to the Vallarta Botanical Garden until the end of December. This exhibition will especially focus on native and endemic birds and the fascinating flora of the habitats that support them. We hope to inspire a conservation-oriented public through engaging imaginations with stunning and creative human constructs interpreting our natural world. Local and visiting artists are encouraged to submit pieces for consideration in this exhibition which will be selected by a committee of representatives from the Garden, the Mall, and the University. Pieces may include paintings, photos, and sculptures. For more information on the exhibition or how to send submissions, please send an email to eventos(at)vbgardens.org.

Purr Project 2017 Calendars Go on Sale This Month

Purr Project, a no-kill feline rescue shelter north of Puerto Vallarta, has announced the upcoming availability of their 2017 calendar. This 5th Year Special Edition centers around the theme "deep into the gaze of felines," and features stunning photographs of cats that are presently living, or have lived, in the Purr Project shelter. The cover features "Bowie," a rescue cat from the streets of El Centro who has found her Furr-ever home in Montreal. Most of the other cats featured in the calendar are fortunate to have amazing eyes, but not fortunate enough to have found a home... yet! Proceeds from calendar sales will allow Purr Project to continue offering long-term care for these, and all of the other felines at Purr that are still up for adoption. The calendar costs $20 USD plus mailing, or $250 pesos if you are purchasing it locally. For more information about the calendar, or the shelter, please email info(at)purrproject.com., or visit PuRRProject.com to learn how you can help.

Weekend Events in Puerto Vallarta and Around Banderas Bay
Click on titles for more information

• Fourth Annual Punta Mita Beach Festival, July 7-10

• Be Italian - Starring Gloria - Opens Saturday at Act II

• July 1st-11th Summer Sizzle at Daiquiri Dick's