Catrinas, costumes, and a long weekend
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¡Feliz viernes, amigos!
The rain is behind us and the bay is dressed for Día de Muertos. Tonight the altars open downtown, Saturday is Halloween, Sunday the giant catrina gets unveiled, and the kids are out of school until Tuesday. Here is how to eat, drink, and wander your way through it.
🎉 The weekend
Friday, Oct. 30th (tonight, all free, downtown)
6pm: the public art gallery opens in Parque Hidalgo. 6:30pm: the altars and ofrendas open in Plaza de Armas with free pan de muerto tastings. Go early, the bread goes fast.
7pm: catrina runway at Los Arcos, followed by Ballet Folclórico Gente Buena from Aguascalientes at 8pm.
7:30 to 10:30pm: CUCOSTA university students project video mapping onto the Malecón facing Plaza de Armas.
7pm, Fri through Sun: "Memorias entre tumbas" at the Panteón Municipal 5 de Diciembre, with legends, theater, and Mexican horror films inside the old cemetery.
Saturday, Oct. 31st (Halloween meets Día de Muertos)
6pm: live mariachi in Plaza de Armas. 7pm: family music in Parque Lázaro Cárdenas. 8pm: ancestral dance and ofrenda on Calle Pípila, plus the folklórico ballet again at Los Arcos.
Costume nights in the Zona Romántica: Nacho Daddy (Basilio Badillo 287) throws its 18th Halloween party from 7:30pm, no cover, with the Texas Embassy Blues Band and a costume contest. Elixir Mixology Bar (Basilio Badillo 419) does a costumes and cocktails night from 6pm. Coco Cabaret has a ticketed Halloween show with a costume contest at 6pm.
Sunday, Nov. 1st
7pm: the Monumental Catrina, "La Guardiana del Océano," is unveiled at El Faro on the Malecón. This is the one that set Guinness records for the tallest catrina. Video mapping moves into Centro Histórico from 7:30 to 10:30pm.
All weekend: the 50 monumental catrinas stay on the Malecón through Nov. 3rd, and the PGA TOUR's VidantaWorld Mexico Open plays its final rounds Saturday and Sunday in Nuevo Vallarta (tickets).
Big one Monday: the Grand Parade leaves the Panteón Municipal around 5:30pm and heads to the Los Muertos pier. Last year drew more than 35,000 people, so pick your spot early. Times can shift, so check the official festival program before you head out.
🍹 Eat & Drink
Sabores que vuelven. Through Nov. 7th, participating restaurants in Centro and the Zona Romántica are serving seasonal Día de Muertos menus with regional recipes. Ask when you book, and reserve directly with the restaurant.
Elixir Mixology Bar (Basilio Badillo 419) reopens tonight at 6pm after a full makeover. Same handcrafted cocktails, new look, and then the Halloween party Saturday.
The Corner Bar (Basilio Badillo 339) turned five this week and opened its new patio. Same cocktails, more room to actually sit down on a busy night.
Date night pick: Elena 1927 (San Salvador 117). The new fine dining room at the Villa Premiere hotel, steps from the Malecón, mixes international technique with Mexican ingredients. Good for a slow dinner before Sunday's catrina unveiling.
Pan de muerto tip: the sweet, orange-scented bread with bone-shaped dough on top is only around for a few more days. Grab one from your neighborhood panadería before Monday.
📌 Quick need to know
☀️ Weather: dry and warm all weekend. A little morning haze, then highs around 30 to 31°C (86 to 88°F), with humid nights around 22 to 24°C (72 to 75°F). Rain is basically off the table, so festival nights look clear. Sunscreen by day, and keep water handy for the long evenings.
🏦 Banks close Monday, Nov. 2nd. Bank branches are shut for Día de Muertos, and most are closed Saturday and Sunday as well, so do any counter business today. ATMs and banking apps keep working.
🎒 Schools are out today and Monday. Public schools are off Friday for teacher meetings and Monday for Día de Muertos, back Tuesday. Expect more families downtown.
🚧 Las Palmas and Av. México. SEAPAL has the intersection closed for a sewer line replacement, about two weeks starting Oct. 26th. Heading north, detour by Palma Areka and Bahía de Tenacatita. Heading south, use Palma Areka, Palma Real, Manuel Lepe, and Las Flores.
🚢 No cruise ships this weekend. Daytime Centro should feel calmer than midweek. Evenings will still be packed with the festival crowds.
🕐 US and Canada clocks fall back Sunday. We stay put, so from Sunday Vallarta is one hour behind New York and two hours ahead of Los Angeles.
✏️ Quick fix: the Olas Altas Farmers Market opens its season Saturday, Nov. 7th, not this weekend. It runs Saturdays 9am to 2pm in Parque Lázaro Cárdenas.
Palabra del día
puente (PWEN-teh): literally "bridge," but here it means a long weekend, when a day off sits next to the weekend. "Hacer puente" means taking the extra day to make it longer.
Example: "Los niños tienen puente hasta el martes." (The kids have a long weekend until Tuesday.)
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That's the weekend, amigos. Say hola to a catrina for us, and we'll see you Monday with the week ahead.
The Vallarta Confidential crew
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