Puerto Vallarta is opening a free week of Indigenous food, workshops, and dance on Cuale River Island. Celebrando Nuestras Raíces (Celebrating Our Roots) runs September 14 through 20, 2026, daily from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with open admission.
The municipal Pluricultural and Multiethnic Liaison Office organized this first-time gathering with the Vallarta Institute of Culture and participating communities. Councilor Laurel Carrillo Ventura, who chairs the city culture commission, said the point is to bring residents and visitors closer to living traditions. “Our diversity does not separate us; it enriches us and strengthens us as a society,” she said.
The Cuale Cultural Center esplanade, on the island between downtown Puerto Vallarta and the Romantic Zone, will host cooks from Zapotec, Triqui, and Purépecha communities, plus participants from Oaxaca and Guerrero. Visitors can sample wood-fired dishes, tamales, bread, tacos, stews, traditional sweets, and specialty drinks.
Cultural workshops are scheduled each evening from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., including Lele doll making, God’s eyes, ancestral medicine, and artisanal ice cream. Traditional dances, folkloric groups, and guest artists, including Ángelo Covarrubias, winner of the state Suenan las Juventudes competition, are also on the program. Organizers invite families and visitors to drop in across the seven days.
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