Beetles from across the country and elsewhere have been crawling their way up to Rincón de Guayabitos, Nayarit, for the traditional Guayafest, an event organized around the iconic, two-door, rear-engine Volkswagen car.

Organized by the Tepic-based TPC Bugs Club, Guayafest will be celebrating its 20th edition this weekend, attracting over 350 Volkswagens, including vochos and combis, as the bugs and the VW vans are commonly known in Mexico.

Festivities begin today at 5:00pm with a two-hour parade that runs through Los Ayala and La Peñita de Jaltemba. Participants will be accompanied by a security detail from the Compostela and state traffic police.

Back in Guayabitos, participants will be feted in the town’s main square with plenty of beer, tacos and live music.

Tomorrow at 8:00am proud Volkswagen owners will sign up for the competition in 35 categories, from classic vehicles dating back to 1949 to the latest models.

Two hours later the cars will be on display for judges to assess and the public — around 1,000 attendees are expected — to admire. At 3:00pm, awards will be given to the first three places in the original, modified and custom categories.

Billed as a family-friendly event, there will be food, drink and entertainment, and an area were spare VW parts and accessories will be on sale.

There will be more music and other activities throughout the day tomorrow. Admission is free.

Rincón de Guayabitos — a town that consists of little more than a 2.5-kilometer stretch of golden sand and two parallel streets — is located just over one hour north of Puerto Vallarta.

Source: NTV (sp), Banderas News (en)