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 Mexico headlines, plus Puerto Vallarta news, community announcements and a couple of upcoming events you won't want to miss.

Puerto Vallarta Zoo Celebrates 10th Anniversary

In celebration of the Puerto Vallarta Zoo's 10th anniversary, Zoologico de Vallarta owners, Martin, Antonio and Alfredo Castañeda, are offering two for one general admission tickets from September 1st through 15th. Located 35 minutes south of downtown Puerto Vallarta, Zoologico de Vallarta is surrounded by lush jungle vegetation just above Mismaloya beach. This naturally tropical environment provides the perfect setting for the zoo's more than 400 mammal, bird and reptile inhabitants. Half the animals on display are indigenous to Mexico, and most every creature found in this area is represented – jaguars, pumas, coyotes, ocelots, tlacuaches, coatimundis and quite a few bird and reptile species among them - crocodiles and iguanas included. El Zoologico de Vallarta not only provides a safe place for animals in danger of extinction, but also gives Puerto Vallarta residents and visitors the opportunity to hand feed camels, giraffes, hippos, bears, zebras, emus, and many other large and exotic creatures from the specially designed snack packs available for purchase. The Zoo also has a nice restaurant with a wide variety of Mexican dishes and snacks for your enjoyment, as well as an assortment of reasonably priced zoo tour packages designed to cater to your particular interests. For more information, visit zoologicodevallarta.com.

Tourism Service Providers Cleaned Up Las Islas Marietas

In preparation of the August 31 reopening of Playa Escondido, the management of the Islas Marietas National Park, which is part of the National Commission of Protected National Areas (Conanp), together with the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau and local tourism service providers, participated in a cleanup of the Islas Marietas on Monday, August 29. A total of 64 participants in 10 boats gathered up 45 black bags filled with trash - about 80% of which was plastic bottles. It should be noted that the waste reaches the islands via natural phenomena, the wind and the currents from the Nayarit and Jalisco rivers. The cleanup effort needed to take place immediately, since a lot of trash had accumulated during the rainy season and the islands' Hidden Beach was set to reopen on Wednesday. With regards to the new management plan for tourism to the Islas Marietas, the Conanp began holding workshops back in July in order to help train the tourism services providers. To date over 300 service providers have been trained and by the time the workshops end in September they expect to have trained another 200.

La Gran Carrera Día del Medico (The Great Doctor's Day Race) at Marina Vallarta

Since 1837, Doctor's Day has been celebrated in Mexico on October 23 to coincide with the Establecimiento de Ciencias Médicas (Medical Sciences Enactment) in 1833, which later originated the creation of the Medical School of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Today, Día del Medico is celebrated in cities throughout the country in recognition of the contributions of physicians to individual lives and communities. Here in Puerto Vallarta, La Gran Carrera del Día del Médico (The Great Doctor's Day Race) will be held for the fourth year running (pun intended) at Marina Vallarta. For the past three years this has been reflected by the increase in the participation of local, national and foreign athletes. In its first year (2013), the race had a distance of 5 kms and more than 650 runners; in the second year (2014) the 10k race was added, attracting more than 850 participants. This year, more than 1200 runners are expected to compete in 5 and 10k races as well as a Half Marathon (21 kms). The races are scheduled to start in Marina Vallarta between 6:50 and 7:10 am. Everyone is invited to participate and to Ven a sentir latir tu Corazón en Puerto Vallarta ("Come feel your heart beating in Puerto Vallarta"). For more information (in Spanish), and to register for the race, please visit carreradiadelmedico.com.

Upcoming Events in Puerto Vallarta and Around Banderas Bay
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• Riviera Nayarit Hosts 3rd Stop of 2016 Mundo Golf Tour

• ExPats in Vallarta September 2016 Happy Hour & Events

• Puerto Vallarta Celebrates El Mes de la Patria