Puerto de Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico - Something magical and musical is coming to the heart of Riviera Nayarit, in the crown jewel village of Chacala-by-the-sea, a traditional fishing village 50 miles north of Puerto Vallarta - the 6th Annual Chacala Festival de Musica y Arte!

Since 2014, Chacala has hosted a free Music & Arts Festival every year in March. This community-run event features children's performance, local visual artists and printmakers, bands, solo acts, dance groups & even theatrical performances. The line up is varied and the festival is designed to be inclusive to different nationalities, ages & backgrounds.

This year's festival, scheduled to take place from March 16-17, will include musical and dance performances, art exhibitions, kids workshops, a puppet theater, exhibitors, authentic Mexican food and spirits, and more!

Organized by a team of community volunteers from different countries, professions and backgrounds, who share a love for the arts and a desire to stimulate, develop and nurture talent in the community, the Chacala Festival de Musica y Arte builds on existing educational programs such as El Jardín Montessori Waldorf School & the Cambiando Vidas scholarship program.

To that end, over the years, the festival has benefitted local children in the following ways:

• Provided 50+ children weekly music education, rehearsal, and performance experience.

• Exposed 100+ of our youngest children to music through the KinderMusik program. In addition to the local kindergarten children, this program piggy-backs on a "bookmobile" program sponsored by Rotary that involves Jannel Tessari, so the program travels to several remote villages near Chacala, benefitting an additional 100 children.

• Provided local high school students instruction in instrumental rehearsal and performance. Additionally, visiting musicians who perform in the Festival usually spend time with the students sharing their music, performing, etc.

• Exposed local children to visual arts through exhibition and hands-on instruction. The visual art component of the Festival was initiated in 2015, which was principally exhibition. It has included teaching by qualified art teachers during and after the two-week Chacala Artists Residency Program, and there are more programs being developed this year.

In addition, locals and visitors alike delight in being able to expose their families to professional, high-quality performances at this free, 2-day festival. Featured entertainment at this year's Chacala Music Festival includes:

La Cucaracha: Puppet Theater
Among other stories, the work of Rabbit and Coyote comes alive on stage based on the history of Mexican oral tradition.

Jxonas: Songwriter and master of loops
Jxonás (formerly Mau Carrera) is an artist from Queretaro born in Mexico City, now based in the Riviera Nayarit. Singer, composer, and producer of Soul Bajeño, Blues, and R & B with spiritual groove.

Cheko Ruiz Band
Flamenco and gypsy styles with virtuosos on the guitar and the trumpet.

and many more...

The entertainment schedule is still in the works, and new artists are being added every day, so be sure to follow the Chacala Festival de Musica Facebook event page and the Chacala Cultural Foundation's website for more information and updates.