Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – History is very important in Mexico. To the Mexican people, “History is not only the story of how the present came to be, but the explanation of present realities and future possibilities.”
So it’s only natural that every year the month of September is dedicated to the celebration of the first and most significant episode of the country’s history – Mexico’s Independence from Spain.
Every September, known as El Mes de la Patria (The Month of Our Nation,) cities throughout Mexico host a series of colorful and patriotic festivities celebrating the events and people that eventually resulted in Mexico’s Independence from Spain.
Here in Puerto Vallarta, the celebrations are unbeatable. On every street corner there are vendors selling flags, balloons, sombreros and rehiletes, all in the national colors of red, white and green – and there are plenty of festivities, entertainment and activities going on almost every day, and night, from September 13th through 16th.
Puerto Vallarta 2022 Fiestas Patrias Schedule of Events
Tuesday, September 13 – Aniversario de la Batalla de Chapultepec
9:00 am – Celebration of the 175th Anniversary of the Battle of Chapultepec in honor of the los Niños Héroes who were killed in the defence of Mexico City, in the main plaza of El Pitillal.
Wednesday, September 14 – Día Nacional de la Charrería
11:00 am: Traditional Charro Parade with La Unión de Asociaciones de Charros de Puerto Vallarta (12 charro associations of the municipality) beginning at the intersection of Basilio Badillo and Ignacio L. Vallarta. From there, they will parade north along Morelos Street, continue along the Malecón and Mexico Avenue until they end at Nicaragua Street. Several of them will then go to El Pitillal, where there will be more festivities.
Thursday, September 15 – Aniversario Del Grito De Independencia
6:00 pm to 10:30 pm – Las Fiestas Patrias street party with authentic food stalls, live music, folkloric dances, a beauty pageant and the coronation of the Ambassador of the National Holidays, on the Malecón.
11:00 pm: Ceremonia del Grito de Independencia – Traditional El Grito Ceremony – Puerto Vallarta Mayor Professor Luis Alberto Michel Rodríguez will deliver “El Grito,” reenacting the historic cry for independence from the City Hall balcony.
11:20 pm: The singing of Mexico’s national anthem.
11:30 pm: Castillos and Fireworks, downtown Puerto Vallarta
11:35 pm: Baile Popular – Public Street Dance in Puerto Vallarta’s Main Square
Friday, September 16 – 212° Aniversario de la Guerra de Independencia de México
September 16th is a National Holiday, similar to July 4th in the United States. Most people have the day off from work so they can enjoy the traditional civic-military parade that starts at 10 am at the Plaza de Armas and follows the same route as the Charro parade, but ends at Honduras Street in the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood. Banks, government offices and about half of the businesses in Puerto Vallarta will close in observance of the holiday, but plenty of restaurants will be open so you can wrap up the festivities with an authentic Mexican dinner.
And, as if that were not enough, Puerto Vallarta hotels, restaurants and bars are offering a variety of ways to celebrate Mexico’s 212 years of independence from Spain – all month long.
September’s Fiestas Patrias stand out among the social activities celebrated in Mexico each year – so don’t miss your chance to savor the flavors of Mexico in Puerto Vallarta this month.