This week, Puerto Vallarta announced it will host a national children’s mariachi competition to promote this iconic Mexican musical style. Additionally, the Vallarta Institute of Culture issued a call for artists interested in decorating the walls of a local cemetery, and drainage work is expected to cause traffic disruptions on one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
Meanwhile, the Punta Paraíso tourism megaproject, planned for a stretch of beach in San Pancho, is set to be demolished due to environmental concerns.
Here are some of Puerto Vallarta’s top news stories.
Children’s and youth mariachi competition to be held in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta will host the fourth Children’s and Youth Mariachi Competition Oct. 14-16, marking the first time the event takes place outside Guadalajara.
Featuring 18 groups from various regions of Jalisco, the competition seeks to foster the training of new generations of musicians while preserving the mariachi tradition.
Ten groups will participate in the intermediate category and eight in the advanced category. Activities will begin Oct. 14 with a masterclass at the La Lija Cultural Center. In the evening, the groups will perform in the opening gala at the Arcos del Malecón.
The jury will evaluate musical execution, performance quality, ensemble, intonation and adherence to mariachi tradition to select the finalist groups.
The finals will be held Oct. 16, starting at 6 p.m., at the Teatro Vallarta. Before the awards ceremony, all 18 participating groups will perform together.
Calling all muralists to decorate a cemetery for Day of the Dead
The Vallarta Institute of Culture is inviting artists to participate in an initiative to create 10 murals on the walls of the Municipal Pantheon in the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood.
The initiative, dubbed “Recuérdame” (Remember Me), aims to transform these spaces into public art galleries that reflect local identity and contribute to revitalizing the urban environment.
Proposals must draw inspiration from figures, traditions, flora, fauna and Puerto Vallarta’s local culture reinterpreted through the symbolism of Day of the Dead.
Applicants must submit their proposals Oct. 6-19; artist selection will take place Oct. 20. A committee will select 10 artists who must work on the murals Oct. 23-29.
Candidates must also submit a digital portfolio containing a maximum of five previous works demonstrating their experience in muralism. The portfolio must be submitted in PDF format.
Selected applicants will receive a cash prize of 7,000 pesos (US $368) upon completion of the mural.
For additional information about the application process, click here.
Demolition ordered for structures at Punta Paraíso complex in San Pancho
Court freezes bank accounts of opponents of Nayarit condominium project
A federal court upheld an order for the partial demolition of the Punta Paraíso real estate development along the beach in San Pancho, Nayarit, following years of legal disputes over environmental irregularities.
The company must restore 1,466 square meters (about 15,780 square feet) of land reclaimed from the sea to its original state by demolishing unauthorized structures, and pay a fine of 96,220 pesos (US $5,300). The ruling also mandates the forfeiture to the government of the buildings known as Tower 1 and Tower 2.
The case also led to allegations against Roberto Rodríguez Medrano, the acting head of the Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) in Nayarit. Former legislator Ismael Duñalds Ventura claims that the official endorsed the project’s environmental studies in 2018, when he led the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in Nayarit.
The concession permitted only recreational and ornamental activities, not commercial exploitation. A Profepa inspection launched in December 2021 confirmed the construction work that resulted in the sanctions.
Profepa head Mariana Boy Tamborrell described the ruling as a victory for the community and for the protection of the coastal ecosystem.
Drainage work at Las Palmas Park begins
The Potable Water, Drainage and Sewerage System (SEAPAL) in Puerto Vallarta has begun sanitary infrastructure rehabilitation work in the Parque Las Palmas neighborhood and along Avenida México — a project expected to last approximately six weeks and result in partial traffic closures.
The construction corresponds to the second phase of work on the area’s drainage system. It entails replacing 66 meters (about 216 feet) of pipeline, increasing conveyance capacity and creating a new alternative for wastewater discharge.
Furthermore, this project reinforces the measures SEAPAL Vallarta is taking to address and prevent issues related to sanitation infrastructure — following recent problems in the Versalles neighborhood — by increasing conveyance capacity and improving wastewater management options in this part of the city.
The construction work will cause intermittent restrictions at the intersection of México and Las Palmas avenues; therefore, motorists traveling through the area should anticipate potential disruptions. SEAPAL asked residents and drivers to take precautions, heed warning signs and follow the instructions of municipal traffic officers.
Gabriela Solís is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.
