mardigras-drelcThe Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Mardi Gras Parade
The Vallarta Mardi Gras Masquerade Party is Monday, February 11, from 7 to 10 pm on the new Los Muertos Pier.

Free. Wear a mask!

Mardi Gras and the Carnaval Parade is an annual festival, a public celebration held just before the Lent, forty days PUERTOVALLARTACARNAVALbefore Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstain from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term “carnival,” from carnelevare, “to remove (literally, to raise) meat.”

Mardi Gras / Carnival celebrations are a combination of parades and street parties.

In some countries, notably Brazil, Carnival is the most famous holiday of the year and has become an event of huge proportions. The country stops completely for almost a week and festivities are intense, day and night. Tourism receives 70% of the annual visitors in this time period.

Carnaval, no matter where it is celebrated is music, dance and costume.

[readon1 url="http://www.carnavalvallarta.com/traditions/"]Source:www.carnavalvallarta.com/[/readon1]

febraury3Cafe des Artistes has a special five-course tasting menu but it's the setting, candle-lit conservatoryview to the stars that makes this such a great spot for Valentine's Night. The menu features to choose from two options coctail elixir of love, bottle of wine  (red or white), flower arrangement and decoration, custom printed menu, taxes and service $2,499.00 Pesos per couple. If you want to pop the question - staff will hide your engagement ring  ready for the right moment.

lunarumbaOne of the most unique and exciting groups to grace the stages of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit in years is LUNA RUMBA. Their music is a fusion of Gypsy, Latin, Flamenco, Middle Eastern, Celtic and Rock with hot Cuban rhythms. If you were lucky enough to have seen them perform at TASTE OF LA CRUZ last month, you know what an exciting new band they are. Violinist Geo (who performs regularly solo, with Latcho Andrea and many other renowned local groups) and LUNA RUMBA are currently in the San Pancho recording studio of Chas Eller (Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars) putting the final touches on their debut CD and will be having a CD Release Party/Dinner Concert to celebrate on Friday February 15th with special guests Flamenco Dancer SOL and keyboardist Chas Eller.

Tickets are $375 pesos including dinner, one drink and the fabulous show. Lupe Dipp has been generous to offer Los Arroyos Verdes, the beautiful botanical gardens and resort complex in the foothills of Bucerias as the venue for this exciting evening of great entertainment.

If you’ve never visited Los Arroyos Verdes, you are in for a very pleasant surprise, the lush and meticulously designed eclectic landscape and grounds are a work of art that will make your evening memorable. $25 pesos from each ticket sale will benefit one of Lupe's favorite charity, MANOS DE AMOR (Casa Hogar Bucerias Orphanage).

Dinner starts at 5pm and the concert starts at 7pm. This is sure to be a banner event for the season. If you are a music lover you won't want to miss this extraordinary event. Tickets are available at Los Arroyos Verdes, Bucerias (329 298 6312), Philo’s Studio & Bar, La Cruz (329 295 5068), email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Connie (322 117 4434).

Biography (biografía) Luna Rumba is a musical group featuring Sergio de Mario on Vocals and George "Geo" Uhrich on Violin and Guitars.

Their music, characterized as New Flamenco and World Music, is a fusion of Gypsy, Latin, Celtic, Flamenco, Middle Eastern and Rock, all spiced up with hot Cuban rhythms

[readon1 url="http://www.insidelacruz.com/in-the-news/be-part-of-the-cd-r elease-party-for-luna-rumba-995.html"]Source:www.insidelacruz.co m[/readon1]

arpa1The Vallartense Institute of Culture organized the first encounter of the island music that brings together 10 major local talent genres jazz, rock, pop, classical, spiritual, flamenco, traditional Cuban and Mexican, every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday  February 7 to 28 of February in the Cuale Cultural Center auditorium, promptly at 7 pm.

To inaugurate the splendid musical encounter this Thursday 7, at 7 pm with a cost of $ 30 pesos generally

MetroOperaTony Award-winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening) makes his Met debut with a new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. The new staging moves the opera’s tragic events from a decadent 16th-century Italian court to the glitzy, depraved setting of the Las Vegas strip circa 1960.

jenniriveraThe legacy of late Latin star Jenni Rivera is set to continue as she has received 11 posthumous nominations for the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

The singer died in a plane crash in Mexico on December 9, along with six other passengers, but her contribution to the Latin music industry is still being recognised.

Rivera is up for 11 awards including Artist of the Year, Female Songs Artist of the Year, and a double nomination for Album of the Year for her two records, "Joyas Prestadas: Pop" and "La Misma Gran Senora."

Don Omar is also set for a big night at the prestigious ceremony, landing 18 nominations including Artist of the Year and Male Songs Artist of the Year. Prince Royce and Pitbull, major finalists last year, have picked up 10 and nine nominations respectively, while newcomers 3BallMTY received eight nods. The ceremony will take place on April 25 at BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, Florida.

[readon1 url="http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=789332"]Source:music.msn.com[/readon1]

sangreThe U.S. Consular Agency of Vallarta is requesting blood donations of B-Negative or O-Negative for an American citizen, Herbert M. Heinstein, who is still hospitalized at Amerimed Hospital. The local blood banks have no stock of the blood he needs.

We are urgently seeking blood donations.

The blood bank is located at San Javier Marina Hospital – Across from the Maritime Terminal in Vallarta.

setac1Paco Arjona, Director of SETAC (Solidaridad Ed Thomas A.C.), announces the Fourth Annual Duckaton Fundraiser where you are guaranteed an evening of fun while supporting the SETAC Puerto Vallarta GLBT Community Center.

The 2013 Duckaton will be held on Wednesday, February 20, from 7:00 until 11:00 and will once again be held and hosted at the Boana Torre Malibu condo-hotel on the poolside terrace, located at 325 Amapas street,

Learn-SpanishLearning Spanish in Vallarta is the ultimate compliment to our friends and hosts in Mexico.  Mr Raul Gomez, an accomplished Spanish teacher from the Northwest of the United States, retired to Banderas Bay and is now giving back!

After 28 years teaching Spanish to children in Portland Oregon, Mr Gomez is now teaching those with piquito language skills to be able to communicate effectively.

Classes are inexpensive and are held in Marina Vallarta!

Vamos a aprender juntos!! No esperes más!

Homenaje Trayectoria presents the photo exhibition of Mr Scott Breitag, born in Bemidji, MN, USA on February 16, 1971.

galavallarta1The Twentieth Gala Vallarta will take place from february 6 to 9, this is an event that will bring together the National and International Wholesalers of the hotel industry of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

This is a structure based in a format of business meetings

preestablished with a minimum duration of 30 minutes each, which are scheduled from 9 a.m.to 2 p.m and resume at 3 p.m.to 6p.m.

chimo2CHIMO - During March 25th-29th,  a group of American volunteers is traveling to Chimo, a small fishing village west of Puerto Vallarta, to lead a community mural project. Working with school children from the Chimo primary school, the volunteers will create four colorful outdoor murals that depict and celebrate

the rich animal and plant life of the Pacific Ocean, including sea turtles, humpback whales, dolphins, manta rays, fish, and other sea life.

FESTIVALThe Music Festival is a 3 day event held annually in San Pancho for the last 13 years. The Festival has always been free to the public, and amazingly it still is.

The 13th annual San Pancho Music Festival for 2013 will be held Friday through Sunday, 02/22 through 02/24/2013 in San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico.  As in the past years,