Our Lady of Guadalupe
 

I will be travleing to P.Vallarta on November 28th. We have never been this time of year, Has anyone heard of a celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Cathedral near the Malecon. I would really appreciate any info on this. Also how is the weather at that time of year we usually go in Jan Mar April or May. This year in March it was cooler than usual. Last year we were to go On Oct 31st but the hurricane changed our plans we went to Cancun instead. Thanks in advance Joann

I am unsure if PV has its own specific celebration on another date. However, December 12th is the feast day for La Virgen and a nationwide celebration.

I have been to the Festival of the Virgin of Guadalup three times. It is from December 1-12, with the biggest celebration day being midnight on December 12th.

Peregrinaciones a la Santisima Virgen de Guadalupe (is the name of the festival in Spanish).

It is an absolutely wonderful local event. It seems some years were bigger than others. When I asked, locals said this was due to economics.

Basically there is a parade every night along the main street in El Centro. Groups from PV and surrounding areas make the procession with candles, songs honoring the Virgin, music, drum & fife bands, mariachi, Aztec-style teen dance groups, floats, kids dressed up as Guadalupana and Juan Diego. The various groups are schools, civic organizations, restaurants, businesses, and the like.

The parade originate north and culminates at the main cathedral where the participants go inside for a blessing (some nights there are two parades with one coming from the southside).

There used to be food booths on the zocolo but they moved this to a "food court" at the north/beginning location of the parade. People also sell from their homes (hot dogs, tamales). The best bakery last year was in the beauty shop (cheese pie, fabulous homemade cakes)!

Hopefully you are staying a couple weeks? When I go to PV in the fall, I make it a point to plan my dates to include this festival.

Hi Suze Seems like you know a lot more than I do about this. I am going from 11/28-12/6 Can you give me any more info . I love the Cathedral and go every time I come to P. Vallarta, however I have never been this time of year and I have heard about the festival. Loving the Madonna as I do I must see this event. I am going to be at Nuevo Vallarta and want to make a special trip one night to see this. Any more info would be great!!!! Thanks

It's hard to miss!! You just need to come into town one night after the 1st. The tourist office (kitty corner from the cathedral in that government building off the zocolo) and most shops will have a schedule posted for the times of the various groups that will be in the procession.

Plan to spend the evening, as it is a long, but not continuous parade (i.e., a few groups walk by, than a long pause when kids play in the streets, people get snacks & visit with their neighbors, etc. then another group of groups comes by).

You might want to make it more towards the end of your trip. Although officially things begin on the 1st, they seem to grow each night as it gets more towards the 12th. So I'd check a schedule and pick an evening more towards the end of your stay.

If you go first to the cathedral you can follow the crowds back along the procession route (I think it's on Juarez, but could be Hidalgo or Morelos, anyway one of those 3 parallel main streets in town). It is usually very crowded around the cathedral, but then spreads out as people sit on the curb along the street.

You can even participate if you want to. I have often been invited by a hotel or restaurant to join their group for a certain night & time. Your resort out in Nuevo may very well be taking part. Ask around. I have found local people are pleasantly surprised by my interest. Not very many tourists attend this event.

People offer gifts of flowers and food in thanks for all the Virgin has granted them in the past year. There might be a way you could participate in this giving. The cathedral itself is usually too crowded to get into (although you might try) during this time because each participant enters at the end of their procession to receive a blessing from the priest (I think is what is happening, as I said, I haven't been inside the cathedral at that time).

Hope I've got this all correct and not mis-stated anything. It is how I have observed it anyway. It is a wonderful experience. Take plenty of kleenex if you are an emotional person. I always end up in tears.

I am crying already!!!! Thanks Suze. My husband usually doesn't go to church back home in the states but never misses the 8:00 mass on Sunday mornings when we come to P. Vallarta. It is reserved for all the children they sing and are so angelic, it moves mu husband and I to tears. It reminds me of Mass when i was growing up. Now our new churches hardly have any Saints in them while the Cathedral has so many. I can't wait to be a part of this event. I am going to ask my friends in Ixtapa if they usually take a part in this maybe we can all go together as a family. Have you ever heard of Virgin of Talpa?I know they went there on a trip. They gave us so many religious articles. Thanks again for your help. Will keep in touch as it gets closer.

You're very welcome. As you might have guessed I am pleased to share it with someone who is interested.

I am amazed by the number of tourists (most) who don't wish to observe or participate, and many who don't even realize the Festival is happening (which is especially hard for me to believe since you'd think they might notice a huge parade of people, candles, singing, floats and loud music if it passed under their hotel balcony at midnight!).