Mexicans are getting back into the swing of normal life as the government announced that the worst is over and has eased curbs on commercial and public activity. For this reason CONCACAF and BSWW jointly took the decision to start setting new dates for the North and Central American Qualifying competition.

On April 22 the six participating nations were drawn into two pools, where they will round-robin and see the two top teams advance to the semi-finals. The two finalists will be the CONCACAF representatives at the world’s most prestigious beach soccer showdown, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup that will take place in spectacular Dubai from November 16-22.

Hosts and defending champion Mexico were drawn into Group A with last year’s surprise act El Salvador, and Canada who’s making its comeback on the International Beach Soccer scene. El Tri will start their qualifying campaign by facing off with the Canadians on day 1 of the Puerto Vallarta showdown and will confront with El Salvador for a semi-final spot on Friday the 19th.

The USA was given the perfect shot to bounce back from last year’s deception as they were drawn into Group B with Costa Rica and newcomers Bahamas to kick-off the CONCACAF Qualifier as red-hot favourites to reach the semis.

MATCH SCHEDULE

Group A
A1 – Mexico
A2 – El Salvador
A3 – Canada

Group B
B1 – USA
B2 – Costa Rica
B3 – Bahamas

GROUP STAGE

Wed June 17
5:00 pm – USA vs. Bahamas
6:15 pm – Mexico vs. Canada

Thu June 18
5:00 pm – Costa Rica vs. Bahamas
6:15 pm – El Salvador vs. Canada

Fri June 19
5:00 pm – USA vs. Costa Rica
6:15 pm – Mexico vs. El Salvador

SEMI-FINALS*

Sat June 20
5th & 6th Place
3:00 pm – 3rd of Group A vs. 3rd of Group B

Semi-final 1
4:15 pm – 1st of Group B vs. 2nd of Group A

Semi-final 2
5:30 pm – 1st of Group A vs. 2nd of Group B

*the order of Semi-finals kick-off times may be altered by the Organizing Committee

PLAY-OFF FOR THIRD / FOURTH PLACE & FINAL

Sun June 21
Play-off 3rd/4th
4:15 pm – Loser M7 vs. Loser M8

Final
5:30 pm – Winner M7 vs. Winner M8

Henry has dusted off an old hat that she hasn’t worn in a very long time to design a gallery/studio structure with a good tango floor for dancing and teaching her Organic Stretch system (an outgrowth of the Wallace Method). She envisions art events, small concerts, milongas, workshops, and regular classes once the new building is completed. The design includes a large open studio on the second floor where she can continue to expand the scale of her work and to further explore her current focus on colorful, abstracts in oil and acrylic.

The event on May 15th, from 6 – 9:30, is open to the public and will include both her new work as well as two suites of monotypes (a tango shoe series and a group with a Mexican flavor). There are limited edition prints of some of the original watercolors done when she first arrived in PV in 1997 (from her solo sail around the world) and a few from the time she spent in the Caribbean.

As with many decisions in her life, Henry says she just woke up one morning in late March knowing that it was time to move to La Cruz and her little house. Puerto Vallarta has been her home longer than any other city or town in the world, and after visiting 52 countries and spending considerable time in quite a few, that makes this move significant.

An opening date for the new facility is too far in the future to predict, but Henry will have a tango floor/stretch class space ready by the end of this June. Visitors with an appointment will be welcome to visit and view her art, but none of the work will be hanging on gallery walls for quite awhile.

Friday, May 15, 6 – 9:30, Pat Henry Studio, Jacarandas 183, Zona Romantica, Phone: 222-4119, www.pat-henry.com

Gallery Exhibition
Opening: Friday, April 24th, 2009
7:00-9:00 p.m.
T. Fuller Fine Art
Corona 169, Centro
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Four emerging artists will be showcased in a unique photographic exhibit at T. Fuller Fine Art on Friday, April 24, 2009.

The first in a series of exhibits committed to recognizing and assisting talented artists, this collection will center on photographs shot in the Tropic of Cancer in the Caribbean, Mexico and Southeast Asia.

The work of Jonathan Auch, Elizabeth Fladung, Edmund Fladung and Ed Fladung differs thematically from photojournalistic investigations of Haitian deforestation to portraitures of Jamaican men to street life in Cambodia, but the intent of El Trópico de Cáncer is to show the connective tissue of humankind in a latitude where the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun to its maximum extent.

Photos ranging from inspiringly exquisite to candidly harsh show the fragile balance between life at its most sublime to situations that are past resuscitation. Turning a corner in Port-au-Prince, Kingston, Bucerias or Phnom Penh can quickly result in images that morph from heavenly to demonic impressions.

The photographers chosen for this show offer variety in their vision and intent as artists.

Jonathan Auch is a photojournalist from New York City whose Haitian photographs documenting the demise of the poorest country in the world will be featured in the exhibit. After studying illustration and photography at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Jonathan returned to his birthplace to work for Magnum 7 photographer, James Nachtwey. Jonathan shoots photographs first as a journalist and then as an artist, but his intent is primarily to bear witness to important events for the purpose of leaving enduring impressions. Jonathan does not explain his work; his stories on film will fend for themselves although he believes there is a fine line between the perception of reality and the continuous evolution of truth. Jonathan is also successful as a cinematographer for short subject films and as a still photography for PBS-funded documentaries.

Elizabeth Fladung has a keen interest in story telling through visual mediums. She has been involved with film and photography from an early age. After attending California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, she spent eight years as a freelance art, documentary, and editorial photographer in New York City. For the last two years she has made Puerto Vallarta her home. She travels frequently for work and in her spare time documents life in Mexico. In this show, Elizabeth offers a collection of images of Jamaican men. Always drawn to humans and their imprint on society Elizabeth seeks to capture personalities and the subjects she is photographing. Having had a strong interest in Jamaican culture from a young age, Elizabeth chose to document the essence of what makes Jamaica truly hypnotic – its people.

Covering Southeast Asia in this exhibit is Edmund Fladung, a native of Philadelphia who now lives in Nayarit. Edmund is a surfer, photographer, graphic designer and writer whose graphic eye informs his photography. His work occasionally revolves around typologies: bicycles, signs, VW bugs, flip-flops, close-up portraits and street scenes. There is often a humorous undercurrent in his photography. Edmund, who holds a BFA in graphic design from The California Institute of the Arts, considers his photographs to be personal – they are documents about his daily life and various travels. Like many photographers, Edmund avoids explanations about and instead chooses to tell his stories without burdening the viewer with his own emotional attachments. The one unifying discipline in all of his visual and written work is to leave his viewers with a good story.

Photographer Ed Fladung’s Mexican landscapes complete the fourth component of the El Trópico de Cáncer photography collection at the gallery. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Ed’s first education in photography came from his grandfather, a well-known Maryland naturalist and self-taught photographer who allowed Ed to remain in his darkroom as long as he was attentive. From this experience, Ed developed a love for developing his own film, a process he engaged in for many years until the advent of the digital camera, which he now uses. Ed has studied with well-known Berkeley photography educator Peter Pfersic and with large format landscape photographer Tim Cooper. Ed has lived in Mexico since 2003 and now makes his home in Bucerias. Ed’s work captures the visual allure of Mexico – it is rich in saturated pigment and vibrancy.

All four photographers will be at El Trópico de Cáncer opening, which the public is invited to attend on Friday, April 24, 2009, 7:00-9:00 p.m., at T. Fuller Fine Art, Corona 169 (between Morelos and Juarez), Centro, Puerto Vallarta.

For additional information, please contact Lynn Auch, Gallery Director, at 322.222.8196.
Website: T Fuller Fine Art

Twelve years ago, at the end of an eight-year solo-circumnavigation on her 31-foot sailboat, Henry chose Puerto Vallarta for her home. She took a break from painting to write By the Grace of the Sea: A Woman’s Solo Odyssey Around the World (McGraw-Hill/2002), opened a women’s sailing school, and finally returned to art. A long-time watercolorist, she spent spring 2008 exploring new avenues for her artistic expression…moving from realism to pure abstract, from watercolor to acrylic and oil, expanding the physical size of her pieces, and rekindling her passion for painting.

Appointments to visit the studio are available at other times at 222-4119. The Pat Henry Studio is located at Jacarandas 183 in Zona Romantica. Her show includes abstracts as well as monotypes. See www.pat-henry.com

April 17-20, 2008
International Beach Soccer in PV
Mexico’s national beach soccer team will compete with four other national beach soccer teams from United States, El Salvador and Costa Rica here in Vallarta to participate in the World Beach Soccer Championship, to be held this coming July in Marseilles, France.

~~~ 2009 ~~~

April 20-24, 2009
11th International Symposium on Fireworks
Since it’s inception in Montreal in 92 when attendees from more than 20 nations met, there have been 10 very successful fireworks Symposia around the world…

The events take place at Agustín Flores Contreras Stadium, which is on Blvd. Fco Medina Ascencio B7-K, from April 17-20 (Thursday – Sunday), with matches at 5:15 pm & 6:30 pm. Admission is FREE.

Several tons of sand has transformed a field at the Agustin Flores Contreras sports complex into a beach soccer stadium to welcome teams from the four North American countries competing for two tickets to this sport’s world championship.

This is the first time that México will host this international event. This is also the qualifying venue for the World Cup, the most important competition of the season for the Confederación Norte, Centroamérica y el Caribe de Futbol (Concacaf (Northern, Central American, Caribbean Federation).

The four participating teams will compete for the two tickets to the world championship in Marseilles during the three day event.

Each day there will be back-to-back games, with the first game starting at 5:15 pm and the second at 6:30 pm.

Thursday, April 17
5:15 pm — United States vs Costa Rica
6:30 pm — El Salvador vs Mexico

Friday, April 18,
5:15 pm — El Salvador vs United States
6:30 pm — México vs Costa Rica.

Saturday, April 19
5:15 pm — El Salvador vs Costa Rica
6:30 pm — Mexico vs United States

Sunday, April 20, there will be a game featuring Mexican team against an international “All Stars” team, with players from around the globe.

Marseilles will host the Beach Soccer World Cup next July, following the preliminary rounds held in:
Puerto Vallarta by Concacaf
Buenos Aires by the South American Soccer Association (Confederacion Sudamericana de futbol)
Durban, South Africa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Benidorm, Spain,
allowing teams from all continents.

Sixteen teams will be selected from among these teams to play in the World Cup, which will follow the finals in Benidorm.

The coach for the national selection for beach soccer, Ramón Raya, announced that the support from the Fidecomiso de Turismo (Tourism Trust) and the Ayuntamineto de Puerto Vallarta (Puerto Vallarta City Government) has made this great sporting event possible for the city. He also says they are “very eager to have such an event. We will be prepared and our main objective will be to be represented during the world championship in Marseilles. We hope to have the support of Vallartans to continue making history in this sport.”

Mark your calendar now…
Agustín Flores Contreras Stadium
Blvd. Fco Medina Ascencio B7-K
April 17-20, 5:15pm & 6:30pm
Free admission

Part of the fun of a holiday is to enjoy local festivities and events. Others select their travel date to participate in specific activities. Following are activities scheduled in Riviera Nayarit in 2008.

March 30
Bucerías Art Walk: This monthly art walk in downtown Bucerías includes not only the art galleries but other businesses as well with free horse and buggy transportation.

March TBD
PGA Tournament, Vista Vallarta: More than 30 professional and amateur players are expected at this international televised event that will take place at Vista Vallarta Golf Course with a purse of US$100,000.

April 14
Overnight Cruise to Punta de Mita: Join the sailors on this fun overnight cruise to Punta de Mita from Nuevo Vallarta’s yacht club.

April 23-24 TBD
Spring Distance Series II: 2nd Distance sailing event sponsored by Vallarta Yacht Club.

April 25th – May 3rd
Patron Saint Festivals in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

April – TBD
Third Annual Red Cross Golf Tournament: Hosted by Flamingos Golf Course in Flamingos, Nayarit, this annual event raises funds for the local Red Cross units.

April 27
Bucerías Art Walk: This monthly art walk in downtown Bucerías includes not only the art galleries but other businesses as well with free horse and buggy transportation.

May 1
Labor Day: International holiday honored in Mexico with parades for the union workers.

May 3
Fiesta Santa Cruz : This annual festival is the culmination of a week of cultural, culinary, artistic and other fun activities in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

May 5
Cinco de Mayo (Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla): This first historic battle for independence from the French in Puebla on May 5, 1862 is celebrated as a national holiday.

May
Canadian Tour at El Tigre: This open invitational golf championship tournament is sponsored by El Tigre Golf Course and is part of the not for profit International Canadian Tour. The winner takes home a purse of USD$125,000.

May 10
Mothers’ Day: Traditional Mexican family day to honor mothers.

May 11-13
14th Annual Sports Classic: Fun for the whole family at this annual event including basketball, soccer, aerobics, tennis and a mini-marathon

May 12 TBD
3rd Nocturnal Golf Tournament: Takes place at the Mayan Palace Golf Course in Nuevo Vallarta.

May 12-13
Aquatic Journey in the Santa Maria del Oro Lagoon: Locals and tourists decorate boats and take boat trips across this enigmatic lagoon.

May 14-18
VI Copa Vallarta (Vallarta Cup Soccer Tournament): This tournament in its sixth year draws soccer teams involving up to 100 teams of youths regardless of country of origin as long as the teams are registered.

May 22-25
Women’s Regatta Las Marietas: Hosted by the local women’s prize-winning sailing team, this annual event expects teams from the US , Canada and other countries.

May TBD
Seniors Cup de GADO
Senior golfers are hosted at Flamingos Golf Course, the oldest golf course in Vallarta, established in 1978.

May
Music Festival of May: This annual festival features a country each year, this year that country is Mexico.

May 15-31
Restaurant Week: Banderas Bay restaurants offer special prix-fix menus during this two-week period. The best time to enjoy local cuisine from some of the region’s best restaurants. For more information please visit www.virtualvallarta.com

June 1-3
Fishing Tournament, San Blas: Fishing tournament for local, national and international contestants.

June 3-5
Meeting Planners Mexico : An opportunity for the public and business sectors of Vallarta to meet representatives of other Mexican tourist destinations.

June 16
Anniversary Tournament at El Tigre: A local annual tournament that takes place to celebrate the anniversary of the El Tigre Golf Course.

June 24
San Juan : Celebrated by a weeklong fiesta in San Juan de Abajo

June 27-29
Festival of St. Peter and St. Paul in Mexcaltitan: Locals place images of the saints in two boats and celebrate the festival on the lagoon.

June 29
Day of St. Peter the Apostle in El Tuito: The parish of Tuito enjoys its annual celebration.

June TBD
Couples Championship
Celebrated in the Nicklaus and Weiskopf golf courses at Vista Vallarta.

July 1-7 TBD
North American and European Optimist Championship: A sailing competition that attracts over 200 boats each year.

July 12-14
Second Riviera Nayarit Fishing Tournament
Sport fishing tournament that attracts local, regional, national and international participants. During the first year, participants caught Marlin, Dorado, and Sailfish (later released) that exceeded weight expectations and broke local records.

July 28th – August 15th
Corn Festival, Jala, Nayarit: During this traditional country fair, agricultural products are displayed, particularly the huge corncobs found only in this region.

August 1-15
Corn Festival, Xalisco, Nayarit: This traditional country fair features cultural events, local dishes based on corn, and displays of agricultural products.

August 31
UjENA Bikini Jam: In this international competition for bikini models and photographers, a series of events will take place in Banderas Bay with photo shoots, a 5K run and the final crowning of the bikini model 2007 at a local nightclub.

August 31st – September 2nd
Final Audi Cuattro Cup: National golf competition sponsored by Audi, previous tournament in Acapulco .

September 4-6
Audi Ladies Cup: National ladies tournament

September 14
The Day of the Charro: This special day honors the charro with parades on horseback throughout the towns that feature a lienzo (stadium for charreada)

September 15-16
El Grito de Independencia: Celebrating the shout for independence in 1810 when on the night of September 15th the bells rang at the church in Dolores Hidalgo. The evening of the 15th features parades, games, speeches, culminating in fireworks while the 16th is a national holiday with military parades. The two days are the core of Fiestas Patrias.

September 26th – October 4th
San Francisco de Asís ( Assisi ): The town of San Francisco (San Pancho) celebrates their saint’s day with a pilgrimage, charro parade, street fair and fireworks.

September – December
Turtle Release: During the hatching season of the marine turtles, many local hotels participate in the program to release the recently hatched baby turtles. Participating hotels include: Presdiente Intercontinental Puerto Vallarta Resort, Samba Vallarta All-Inclusive by Pueblo Bonito, and Casa De Mita. Make sure you contact the hotels to find out more about their turtle release programs.

October
Vallarta Yacht Club opens for season: The nonprofit Vallarta Yacht Club opens for a season packed with sailing and parties.

November – May
Polo Season: At the polo fields in nearby San Pancho ( San Francisco ), Nayarit and Costa Careyes in Costalegre, participate or enjoy polo matches with true professionals.

November
Copa Vallarta (Vallarta Cup) Golf Tournament: This annual pro-am golf event is held at El Tigre and Vista Vallarta with a purse of $200,000 pesos and other prizes including Swing Vallarta.

November
Sailfish & Marlin International Tournament: This extraordinary annual event in its 52nd year takes place in Banderas Bay with cash prizes for those catching the big ones.

November 1-2
Todos los Santos , Día de los Muertos (All Saints’ Day, Day of the Dead): Traditional, pre-Hispanic celebrations of a time when the spirits of the departed dead are welcomed back by altars decorated with favorites of the departed.

November 3-4
Antique Automobile Event : Rincon de Guayabitos

November 13 -23
Gourmet Festival: In its 14th year and better than ever, the Gourmet Festival involves the best restaurants in the bay area in a celebration of cuisine.

November 20
Mexican Revolution, also Sports Day: This national holiday celebrates the Mexican revolution of 1910 when Francisco I. Madero denounced Dictator General Porfirio Díaz calling for a national insurrection. Sports day is celebrated with parades featuring schools, activities, seniors and more.

December
Seventh Annual Cruisers Great Chili Cook-Off: Said to be more fun than any chili cook-off in the world, sponsored by the Vallarta Yacht Club. www.vallartayachtclub.com

December
Surf Classic in Sayulita: This annual event for surfers draws people from all over the world to this major surfing destination in Sayulita.

December 1-12
Pilgrimages for the Virgin of Guadalupe: Sayulita , Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta , Jalisco, celebrate the twelve days with pilgrimages (peregrinaciones) each day and evening with processions and floats, Aztec dancers, folklore groups and military bands.

December 15th – March 31st
Whale Watching Season: Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see the amazing Humpback Whales in their winter habitat

December 16
Desfile de Alegria, (Happiness Parade), Tepic : Colorful parade with attractive floats

December 16-24
Posadas : The Posadas commemorate the Biblical story (brought here by the Spanish) of Joseph and Mary searching for posada as the birth date of the child nears

December 24-25
Christmas: Midnight mass is held the evening of December 24th with presents exchanged in the evening or in the morning of the 25th replacing the exchange of gifts originally celebrated on Day of Kings, January 6th

December 31
New Year’s Eve: Many of the restaurants in Riviera Nayarit offer New Year party celebrations. Please check Riviera Nayarit’s website at www.RivieraNayarit.com for restaurant listings and contacts

About Riviera Nayarit
Riviera Nayarit is Mexico ’s newest travel destination stretching along 100 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by spectacular mountains to the north of renowned Puerto Vallarta . Mostly undeveloped, the destination extends from the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta to the historic, colonial town of San Blas, including exclusive Punta Mita and the spectacular Banderas Bay. The region features luxury resorts and eco-tourism boutique hotels, world-renowned surfing, four professional golf courses, rare native wildlife including sea turtles and tropical birds, mountain and island adventures, shopping for local artwork and traditional Huichol handicrafts, charming fishing towns and miles of serene beaches.

May 28 to June 1, 2008, Puerto Vallarta will be home to the first annual Puerto Vallarta: Arte Contemporaneo, a contemporary art festival that will transform Puerto Vallarta into a showcase of art by Mexican and international artists.

Twenty-two artists, eight panelists and three art galleries will be participating in this year’s inaugural festival. Extended Borders: Shifting Cartographies will promote dialogues between Mexican artists and Los Angeles-based artists on globalization, the idea of extended borders, and hybrid identities.

Art lovers and collectors will see exhibitions and public art projects including videos and installation art along Puerto Vallarta’s Malecón, and will be able to participate in discussion groups.

All participating artists have had their work exhibited in prestigious museums in the USA and Mexico, many of them having exhibited in the Whitney Biennial. Some of the participating artists in this year’s festival include Francis Alÿs, widely considered to be among the most important artists working today; Los Angeles born and Guadalajara-based Eduardo Sarabia whose work is influenced by the poetics of the black market and northern Mexican folklore and who is in the Whitney Biennial 2008; and Los Angeles artists Mario Ybarra Jr., also participating in the Whitney Biennial 2008 and whose works have been exhibited at the Tate Modern, and the Prague Biennial.

Rita Gonzalez, an assistant curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Alma Ruiz, curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, will be leading panel discussions. Puerto Vallarta: Arte Contemporaneo is directed by Los Angeles curator Pilar Perez.

Rich in culture and steeped in tradition, Puerto Vallarta is home to numerous cultural festivals from music, theater and film to culinary arts, and traditional indigenous cultures.

Additional information on Puerto Vallarta: Arte Contemporaneo ‘08, Extended Border: Shifting Cartographies available.

Original article appeared on Mexico Premiere