Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Mexico has a number of Fiestas Patrias, and the one coming up next is the celebration of the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. Although Mexico’s Revolution began November 20th, 1910, it’s now officially celebrated on the third Monday of November, which this year falls on the 21st.
What began as an uprising against longtime dictator Porfirio Diaz, who resigned and left the country in 1911, the Mexican Revolution was a period of change for the people of Mexico. But the abdication of Porfirio Diaz did not usher in an era of peace and prosperity. The armed struggle lasted for the better part of a decade until around 1920. But it eventually ended dictatorship in Mexico and established a constitutional republic.
A principal legacy of the Revolution is the current Mexican Constitution, drafted in 1917 in the central Mexican city of Queretaro, under the leadership of Venustiano Carranza. It’s still in use today, albeit with many amendments.
A number of groups, led by revolutionaries including Francisco Madero, Pascual Orozco, Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, participated in the long and costly conflict.
Though Francisco I. Madero started the Revolution, and later became president, the two most colorful revolutionary leaders were Pancho Villa, the “Centaur of the North,” and Emiliano Zapata, leader of the “Liberation Army of the South.” They’ve also made the deepest impression on the Mexican people.
Throughout Mexico, there are streets and monuments named for the various heroes of the Mexican Revolution, principally Madero, Zapata, Villa and Carranza, and Mexican schools teach its importance. It’s a key part of Mexican national identity, and a time of celebration with music, parades, and cultural activities.
Here in Puerto Vallarta, the 112th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution will be celebrated on Sunday, November 20. The celebrations will begin at 8:30 am with the hoisting of the national flag and the corresponding honors in the Plaza de Armas, where students from Arkos High School will put on a stage performance entitled ‘The Movement of the Revolution’.
After the civic ceremony, at 9:30 am, the parade will begin on Ignacio L. Vallarta street in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood, cross the bridge over the Cuale river, continue along Morelos avenue until it reaches the lighthouse on the Malecón. From there, they will march along the boardwalk and Mexico Avenue, before the parade comes to an end on Uruguay street in colonia 5 de diciembre.
The coordinator of Civic Events of the Puerto Vallarta City Council, Zuleika García González, reported that, with the participation of Charro Associations; primary, secondary, high school and professional school students; as well as members of the Armed Forces, Public Security, Firefighters & Civil Protection and the Municipal DIF System, among others, around 1,500 people are expected to be a part of this year’s Revolution Day parade.
As we celebrate the official National Holiday, most people will have the day off on Monday. Banks, government offices and about half of the businesses will be closed on November 21, but plenty of Puerto Vallarta restaurants will be open so you can wrap up the festivities with an authentic Mexican dinner.
We wish all of our readers, wherever they may be, a happy Mexican Revolution Day!