riviera nayarit
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More Marvelous March Events in the Riviera Nayarit
Life in la Cruz
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arch came in like a lion to the Riviera Nayarit! The calendar is chock full of cultural, culinary, and sports activities, not to mention social gatherings perfect for locals as well as tourists and residents.
Cindy Bouchard
cindy@VillaAmordelMar.com
Cindy Bouchard, an expat Canadian runs a Boutique Inn, Villa Amor del Mar in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. She and her husband Chris are living and lovin’ in Vallarta–Nayarit. If you want more info on La Cruz or desire… A very special vacation contact cindy@VillaAmordelMar.com
Swingbreak Festival (March 3 - 10) This exciting adventure is hosted on one of the Riviera Nayarit’s best beaches in the San Francisco community, affectionately known as San Pancho. Dance teachers and international music professionals from the Swing genre will share their knowledge and joy throughout an entire week of dancing and celebration. swingbreakmexico.com/
Inspired in La Cruz; Shari writes five books!
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njoying my latest book I decided to interview the author who was inspired to write… and then wrote and wrote and wrote right here in Vallarta! Shari Decter Hirst has a beaming smile and a heart of gold. I first met her and her wonderful husband, Derry, when they stayed at our Boutique Hotel, six years ago. They quickly fell in love with La Cruz; the people, the area, the food, the history, the music, the ocean, the weather and the cost of living. Not long after they bought a house here. Shari shared “It started out as a quick vacation somewhere warm, or at least that’s what my husband thought; I had an ulterior motive of scouting possible retirement spots and was attracted to the easy access from Canada, the ocean, and the locale. At least one of us became snowbirds… hubby still has a day job, alas.” Far from lazy Shari volunteers “The strong sense of community was one of the things that attracted us to La Cruz. Being involved whether beach clean up, helping with the Amigos de La Cruz dental clinics, or children’s Christmas festivities is part of building a strong community together.” Shari adopted two little street pups and when in La Cruz all three wander the malecon and around town. She loves movie night at the marina, the Sunday Market, watching the sun set from her rooftop patio while sipping vino blanco. At crossroads and suddenly retired Shari was casting about for what the next chapter of her life would look like. “Sitting in a great little jazz club in Bucerias the music inspired me to dream about the Roaring Twenties, flappers, bootleggers, and all that jazz. Like many voracious readers, I have always
March 7 - 13, 2019 www.vallartatribune.com
Econexión Environmental Fair (March 8) Learning and fun come together to create awareness for the care of the environment and to encourage a better quality of life. The event opens on Friday, March 8th at San Pancho’s Plaza del Sol with games, workshops, local products, and gastronomy, plus the presentation of the Pata de Perro Company. A parade from the Entre Amigos Community Center to the Plaza del Sol will kick off the festivities. facebook.com/entreamigossanpancho/
wanted to write a book. With great trepidation, I put fingers to keyboard and began. Thank goodness for a great writing group in the area, with their input and the skill and coaching from a great editor, the Bootleggers’ Chronicles series was born. I love telling stories. There are five novels in the Bootleggers’ Chronicles and they were planned out before I started writing. I needed to know where I was headed before I could start the journey. That’s not to say there weren’t surprises along the way, but the story always stayed true to the premise of the book. A quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Writing as Sherilyn Decter creating a good story that readers will enjoy inspires her. “Finding the right
words that let the reader escape the day-to-day, if only for a few hours.” Shari told me that this past year has been a rollercoaster. Dealing with the challenges of learning to write and finishing a compelling scene and sitting back thinking ‘yes, that’s it’. Highlights for sure are getting her books published on Amazon. ‘Innocence Lost’, book one of the Chronicles was released in February, there are two more in the series coming March 21st, and book four in April and book five in May. She was delighted seeing her books in her local public library and when the gas station attendant said he was reading ‘Innocence Lost’ and thought it was pretty good! Shari invites you to vacation in La Cruz… come for the warm sunny days and starry nights, our friendly village by the sea, the great food, the outstanding music scene and the inspiration!
XXVII International Bahía de Banderas Regatta (March 5-9) This international sailboat race takes place in Banderas Bay. Since its inception 27 years ago it has strived to offer friendly, fun races with a formal, professional format. banderasbayregatta.com/ 1st Riviera Nayarit Raicilla, Mescal, and Artisanal Beer Festival (March 8-10) The 1st Raicilla, Mescal, and Artisanal Beer Festival takes place March 8-10 at the Marina Nuevo Vallarta with the participation of 40 well-known brands of alcoholic beverages and regional cuisine. It will be a weekend full of flavor, traditional beverages, great music, and fun activities. feramece.com/
Chacala Music Festival (March 11 – 16) The Chacala Music Festival, held from March 11-16, is the most important cultural and artistic event of the year in this coastal village of the Riviera Nayarit. National and international artists will be performing free for the general public in Chacala. Bands, dancers, solo artists, fine arts, and more are all part of the celebration. chacalaculturalfoundation.org/ 8th National Cheerleading Event (March 15-17) The APEN Mexico All-Star National Championship will be back in the Riviera Nayarit for the 8th time. About 20 teams from different states will show off their abilities in the Choreography, Dance and Acrobatics divisions. facebook. com/cardenasperez1/
Children’s Circus (March 20-23) The San Pancho Children’s Circus opens its doors for its annual fundraiser, this year titled “Fausto.” This is a magical and spectacular event, directed by project founders Gilles Ste-Croix and Monique continued on next page