UPDATE: Click HERE (and scroll to the bottom of the page) for the November 2 schedule of Día de Los Muertos events.

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - The head of the Municipal Tourism Promotion Department, Eduardo García Joya, recently met with the Colonias 5 de Diciembre, El Centro, Emiliano Zapata and Amapas neighborhood associations and the Estampas de México, Vecinos del Viejo Vallarta and the Fincas Urbanas (Urban Farm) owners of Puerto Vallarta civil associations to start making plans for this year's Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival.

As the October 29-November 2 holiday coincides with the XII International Congress of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World, which will be attended by delegations from 28 countries and 40 bays around the globe, this year's Día de Los Muertos festivities will give Vallarta a unique opportunity to share one of Mexico's most beloved traditions with the world.

Photos courtesy of DiscoveryVallarta.com

The municipal government, headed by Mayor Arturo Peña Davalos, continually strives to make our city prosperous and therefore he is working with the Tourism Board on several projects that will contribute to strengthening the influx of visitors to Puerto Vallarta. And, since Mexico's traditional celebrations are a big tourism draw, the city is pulling out all the stops for the 2016 Festival de Día de Los Muertos.

"The goal is to have everyone work together on the Day of the Dead project, which we intend to make an anchor for the promotion of Puerto Vallarta because it reflects many Mexican traditions, and tourists, especially those from abroad, like to come here and enjoy our traditions," García Joya said during the meeting.

"For the Day of the Dead celebrations we want the city to be 'dressed to kill' so that our international visitors can fully experience Mexico and our traditions. It is important for everyone to actively participate in this project, regardless of the role that the private initiatives, such as Canirac, Canaco, Coparmex and others, may play. Everyone should be involved in this project."

The festival will be held in 17 public spaces, such as the 5 de Diciembre Pantheon, along Avenida Mexico, Hidalgo Park, Malecón, Plaza de Armas, Aquiles Serdan Park, the sidewalks along Iturbide, Mina and Aldama streets, La Isla Rio Cuale, the Cuale Market, Lazaro Cardenas Park, and on Insurgentes, Basilio Badillo, Olas Altas, Francisca Rodriguez and Pulpito streets.

"We have to dress these spaces, decorate them with colorful Day of the Dead flowers and altars, in addition to putting it all into context through cultural activities, music, movies, plays, interactive games and talks about death, so that people see that in Mexico death has a very special place, that the celebration is both respect and ironic, because so are the Mexican people, sometimes we cry at death and sometimes we laugh at her. We want to convey to all of this to our visitors, but we also invite the local people."

The official insisted that the project's goal is to promote Puerto Vallarta through our traditions, "because tourists come here to get to know Mexico and we are a window to the Mexican world."