Veterans Day
The U.S., Canadian and Mexican Community will pay respect to veterans at Parque Hidalgo Saturday, November 11, 11a.m. U.S. Consular Agent Kelly Trainor, Canadian Senior Consular Program Officer Adam Charlebois, DIF President Candelaria Tovar Hernandez and a representative from the Mexican Navy will be present. American Legion Post 14 Post Commander J.R. Wilson will preside. All are welcome to attend.
Gourmet Festival
November 10-19, Jalisco’s coastal jewel will be awash in all things food-and-drink-related when the annual International Festival Gourmet springs into life for the 23rd time. For those obsessed with all things culinary, this is your chance to rub shoulders with internationally-known, Michelin-starred chefs and to sample a plethora of gustatory offerings throughout the city.
The festival began in 1995 when Thierry Blouet, chef/owner of Vallarta standout Cafe des Artistes, and Heinze Reize, chef owner of similarly famous Coco Tropical, decided to put together a happening that would help raise Puerto Vallarta’s international gastronomic profile. The first year saw six hotels and six restaurants participating, with each inviting a guest chef to showcase his or her cuisine.
Over two decades later, the number of participating businesses has mushroomed to 27, and the festival itself has come to include nearby Riviera Nayarit and Tepic.
While the majority of the event’s guest chefs are Mexican, the roster includes an ample smattering of international talent, including Til Engel of Germany, Stefan Glantschnig of Austria, Iranian-American Penny Davidi, Spaniard Oscar Portal Huguet, who is currently head chef of Mexico City’s St. Regis Hotel, and Massimo Fongaro of Italy, head chef of the Sagrantino restaurants and El Italiano in Guadalajara.
Besides giving foodies the chance to bask in the glow of the festival guests’ modest celebrity wattage, the ten-day event offers cooking classes, culinary forums and a wide range of themed events, an example of which is the Texas Street Fair Experience, featuring country music, Tex-Mex food, craft beer, and an appearance by knife-obsessed Texas chef John Tesar.
In addition to the events, participating restaurants will be offering special menus concocted by their guest chefs. These restaurants are open 6-11 p.m. Tickets for the events,1,200-1,800 pesos, can be purchased online at festivalgourmet.com, where you’ll also find further details about the festival.
Beer Festival
Ale lovers rejoice! Puerto Vallarta’s first ever beer festival is scheduled at the Instituto Vallartense de Cultura Saturday, November 18 and Sunday, November 19.
According to organizers, at least six brewers from different regions of Mexico will be showcasing their ales – including Guadalajara’s popular Minerva brand.
Several local restaurants will be dishing up culinary concoctions.
Entry is free and all the beers will be priced moderately.
The Instituto Vallartense de Cultura is located at Aquiles Serdán 437, interior 38, Isla del Rio Cuale, Colonia Emiliano Zapata.
Art Walk
Thirteen galleries are participating in Puerto Vallarta’s 2017-2018 Art Walk season, which began on Wednesday, October 25.
The galleries, all located in the historic center and within easy walking distance of each other, hold exhibitions and provide cocktails every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The starting point and length of stay at each gallery is optional.
Art Walk maps are available from participating galleries, as well as online at http://vallartaartwalk.com. Participating galleries are Galeria Uno, Galeria Pacifico, Galería Colectika, Galeria Petra Luna, Galería Córsica, Nordsouth Gallery, Galería Caballito de Mar, Galeria UNO, LOD, The Loft Galería, Galería de Ollas, Galería 108 and Galeria Ro´Wo. See the above website for more details.
Home Tours
Puerto Vallarta’s International Friendship Club (IFC) has been offering its popular tours of amazing local homes for the past 30 years.
The November-March tours take place every Tuesday and Wednesday and start this year on November 21 and 22.
The tours depart at 10:30 a.m. sharp from the Sea Monkey Restaurant located just south of Rio Cuale and Molino de Agua condos on the beach at Aquiles Serdán. They last approximately three hours. Four homes are visited on each tour.
The cost of the tour is 600 pesos. Tickets are available on the day of the tours from 9 a.m. at the Sea Monkey Restaurant (in cash, pesos only) but seating is limited, so purchasing advance tickets online is suggested to ensure availability. The website is ifctoursforvallarta.com.
Net proceeds from the tours support the IFC’s Cleft Palate Surgery Program and other charitable programs.
Patrons are asked to arrive 30 minutes before the departure time. Breakfast is available for purchase at the Sea Monkey restaurant.
For more information about the activities of the IFC and how to join, see ifcvallarta.com.
Best city
Puerto Vallarta has been ranked as one of the favorite “Best Cities in the World” and “Top Small Cities Outside the United States“ in this year’s Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards. Puerto Vallarta is one of three Mexican cities to be listed in the top 40 cities in the world and one of two Mexican cities to list in the top 20 small cities in the world. Puerto Vallarta is the only beach city to rank in both lists.
“We believe this is the result of the welcoming atmosphere offered by Puerto Vallarta’s people, the authentic Mexican feel and the surprising diversity of attractions and activities our city offers” said Javier Aranda Pedrero, General Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board.
All the winners will be celebrated in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler as well as online at www.cntraveler.com/rca.