Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - There's always so much going on in Puerto Vallarta and around the Republic, it can be difficult to keep up with it all. Here's a look at some of this week's Vallarta news headlines, some breaking Mexico news stories, and a couple of weekend events that you won't want to miss.

Recently Announced Sunday Music Performances

The Puerto Vallarta Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Miguel Almaguer, has just announced their winter concert, to take place this Sunday, January 19, in Teatro Vallarta. The performance will feature introductory lectures at 11 am and will commence at noon. Tickets for the concert are $100 pesos, general admission, $50 pesos for children, students with ID, orchestra members and seniors. Click HERE to learn more.

Alberto Mejia, dubbed "The Best Voice in Puerto Vallarta," and his world class band, will be performing on Sunday, January 19 at 8 pm in the Boutique Theater. Alberto brings to life some of the most beautiful songs, both in English and Spanish in jazz, blues, tango and ranchero with original arrangements written by well-known musical director Luis Rascon. This wonderful evening is complemented by special guests during the show, making this one of the most exclusive shows in Vallarta this season. Tickets cost $200 pesos, and are available online via VallartaTickets.com

St. Louis to Puerto Vallarta Weekly Flights Begin in February

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has announced an increase in flights to Mexico and the Caribbean. Between February and April the airport will increase the number of flights by 12 percent, by serving as many as 14 flights per week to six vacation spots. Weekly service will be offered from Lambert to Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos, which start Feb. 15 and Feb. 17. Service to the Yucatan Peninsula will be offered up to six days per week. Flights will also be added for Montego Bay, Jamaica and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. All direct flights will be flown by Frontier Airlines, with vacation packages offered by Apple Vacation and Funjet Vacations.

Puerto Vallarta Celtic Music Fest Preliminary Program Released

While the rest of the Celtic World is still knee-deep in snow, musicians and traditional artists from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Nova Scotia, the Isle of Man, the Brittany region of France, and the Galicia and Asturias regions of Spain will be enjoying warm and tropical weather in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico during the 1st International Celtic Music Festival. Scheduled to take place from March 20-22, 2014, this unique event will feature concerts, street parades, dance exhibitions and Celtic crafts and art vendors at various venues in Puerto Vallarta, including the Los Arcos de Malecón amphitheater, Teatro Vallarta, the Plaza de Armas, and the Agustin Flores Municipal Stadium. The preliminary program has been released, and can be seen on the Celtic Music Festival's official website.

Grupo Elektra Acquires Blockbuster Mexico

Mexico's Grupo Elektra, the financial and specialty retailer company leader in Latin America, has acquired video rental chain Blockbuster Mexico for 408 million pesos (about $31 million USD). The purchase of Dish Network's Blockbuster Mexico circuit, which comprises 320 stores in 108 Mexican cities, will allow Elektra to migrate a portion of Blockbuster customers to some of its existing digital platforms and strengthen its entertainment offering. Among the possible opportunities, Elektra may launch a VOD platform under the Blockbuster brand name, as it now owns rights to the brand for two years. Elektra, a sister company of network TV Azteca, also plans to utilize the stores to expand its distribution network of consumer electronics products and financial services.

Weekend Events in Puerto Vallarta and around Banderas Bay
Click on titles for more information

• Live Entertainment on the Paradise Stage

• Festival Sayulita, January 16-18th

• 3rd Annual Taste of La Cruz, January 18th

• Vallarta Cup Race Series - Every Saturday in January

From February 4th through December 31st, thousands of BanderasNews.com readers voted for the city’s greatest tastes in our 2013 Best of Banderas Bay Awards, the first edition of an annual poll that encourages our readers to vote for their favorite Puerto Vallarta restaurants. To ensure that the results reflect the unbiased opinions of Vallarta residents and visitors, the votes are now being counted by a team of independent judges, and the winner of each category will be named 'The Best of Banderas Bay' at an awards ceremony scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. Keep watching BanderasNews for details.