Independence Day Celebration is Magic Market’s Grand Opening Event

Magic Market is a great way to spend the afternoon with your friends and family, and this week promises to be extra special. During a time when most other events have been cancelled, Puerto Magico offers all the space necessary to maintain social distancing while still having a great time. So grab your sombreros and come celebrate Mexican Independence Day with us!!

Following the traditions of Dia de Independencia, Puerto Magico has arranged an evening of exciting entertainment of Mexican cultural performers. Raiz Jaliscience, a youth mariachi band, has been invited back to sing and play traditional Mexican songs to please the audience. They are a 9 member group with violins, guitars, and horns. Next Grupo Folklorico Vallarta Azteca, a dance school and cultural center, will be demonstrating Mexican dances in full colorful costumes. 

Headlining the event is a 2 hour presentation of Espectaculo de Charreria, Rancho de Tato. Charreria is a Mexican rodeo-type tradition combining ranch skills and formally costumed showmanship. It evolved from ranch-to-ranch competitions between the haciendas of Old Mexico, and typically includes 9 events for the men and 1 for women, all involving horses and/or cattle. Rancho de Tato will be performing an exhibition based on those events.

Following an opening ceremony where team members parade their horses through the arena, the events of a traditional charreria are then staged in a particular order. The first is a reining event, Cala de Caballo. Horsemen must demonstrate control of their horse through the reins, and the horses must obey basic handling commands and a few tricky ones including backing. Next is Piales en Lienzo, a lasso challenge where the horseman has three chances to throw a lariat into a horse’s path and capture it by looping it’s hind legs. Cattle are involved in the next three events of steer tailing, bull riding, and team roping.

The sixth event is called Jineteo de Yegua, or bareback on a wild mare. This event is like bull riding, where the rider tries to stay on as long as possible. Seventh is Manganas a Pie, or forefooting. A horseman on foot has three chances to rope a horse by its front legs, and has the opportunity to earn extra points with special rope tricks. Then Manganas a Caballo, which is similar but with the horseman mounted. Finally, El Paso de la Muerte, the pass of death. A fearless horseman riding bareback must leap from his horse to an unbroken and un-reined horse and stay on until it stops bucking.

The ladies’ event is called Escaramuza, which means skirmish. A team of women costumed in traditional Adelita dresses perform precision equestrian moves while riding sidesaddle. The saddles are specially crafted to allow the ladies to hold themselves in place hands-free, allowing them to seemingly defy the forces of momentum and gravity.

So don’t miss out, all this fun awaits you at Puerto Magico’s Magic Market and Festival Grand Opening Event. Make sure to come hungry, as there are dozens of vendors offering a variety of delicious foods, breads, sweets, snacks, and drinks. And the art and hand crafted artisan products will amaze you. Every week there are more. Gather your friends and family, the fun starts at 5:00 Friday afternoon, and goes to at least 10:00. We encourage you to dress festively for Dia de Independencia, and we’ll be taking lots of pictures. Located at Puerto Magico, Puerto Vallarta’s new cruise ship terminal, admission and parking are free.