Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - On May 31, 2012, Puerto Vallarta will celebrate its 94th anniversary as a municipality and 44th year as an official city with an award ceremony for local outstanding personalities at City Hall, live music and dancing on the Malecón, and a fantastic fireworks display over Banderas Bay.

As proud members of the community, everyone here at Banderas News would like to take this opportunity to share a bit of PV's history with you and to wish our beloved city, its citizens, and our visitors, a safe and joyous celebration.

The History of Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta has a long and colorful history. As a natural harbor, and privileged with the huge bay that extends from Punta de Mita on the north to Cabo Corrientes on the south, and fed by waters from rivers and streams that flow to the sea, this area was the seat of pre-Hispanic settlements, which provided rich treasures for the Spanish conquerors.

During the first part of the 1800s, this beautiful piece of Mexican geography remained isolated from the rest of the world. The hubs of economic activity were up in the mountains, in the towns of Cuale, San Sebastián del Oeste, and Mascota, where silver mines were in abundance, but where salt, an essential element for processing the metal, was not to be found.

The village which was to become Puerto Vallarta was founded in 1851 by Guadalupe Sanchez, an enterprising boatman from Cihuatlán, who established a trading post on the banks of the Cuale River to supply salt to the mountain gold and silver mines, whose minerals were transported to this coast for shipping.

Sanchez originally called Puerto Vallarta "Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe" to commemorate his arrival on December 12th, the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

In 1911, the people of Las Peñas asked the government of the state for the status of municipality, and finally on the 31 of May, 1918, the State Congress decreed to the formation of the municipality, changing the name to Puerto Vallarta to honor an important governor of the State of Jalisco, Don Ignacio Luis Vallarta.

Since then, every year on May 31st the people of Puerto Vallarta have gathered together at the main plaza in El Centro to celebrate the city's anniversary.

This year, Puerto Vallarta celebrates its 94th anniversary as a municipality and 44th year as an official city. The celebration begins with a free concert by the Municipal Band in the Plaza de Armas kiosk at 6 pm, followed by a few speeches by city officials and the customary cutting and sharing of the traditionally immense anniversary cake.

At 9 pm, the party moves over to Los Arcos Amphitheater for music and dance performances by Mariachi bands and the Xiutla Folkloric Ballet. Throughout the evening, the Malecón will be alive with activity and local vendors offering all kinds of local treats.

When the music stops at 11 pm, a fantastic fireworks display over Banderas Bay will close this year's anniversary celebrations with a bang.