Puerto Vallarta hosts first Mango Festival

The first Puerto Vallarta Mango Festival will take place at Plaza Lazaro Cardenas on Saturday, July 1st from 4 to 9pm. Enjoy various dishes of the King of Tropical Fruit provided by local restaurants and vendors. Families flock to celebrate the sweetest produce of the summer – mangoes!

Entertainment starts at 4pm with the Huicholes Family (Native Folklore), 5pm Doris Jauregui (Soft Latin Music), 6pm Los Polvitos (youth Mariachi), 7pm Xiutla (Folkloric Ballet) and 8pm Tequila Rush (Classic Rock).

If you think you know a thing or two about this delicious fruit, think again. A visit to the festival will heighten your appreciation for what can be done in the name of mangoes. Try many dessert treats incorporating this Puerto Vallarta stable. See if you agree with who dishes out the best Mango cobbler, a dessert typical of the region. 
Anyone interested in participating or volunteering please go to www.jaysadlerproject.com. Click on Contact and send us an email if you would like to participate or click on Volunteers and complete the information if you would like to volunteer for this event.

Mangoes originated over 5,000 years ago in the Hindi-Burma region, which extends from eastern India and southern China across Southeast Asia. Around 300 A.D. mango seeds traveled from Asia to the Middle East, East Africa and South America. Cultivation of mangoes moved westward with the spice trade. The Portuguese, who landed in Calcutta in 1498, were the first to establish a mango trade. Spanish explorers brought mangoes to South America and Mexico in the 1600’s.

Mangoes were introduced to Mexico from the Philippines in 1775 as part of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade route which brought porcelain, silk, ivory and spices from China to Mexico in exchange for New World silver. At some point, along with the other exotica, mangoes made the same East to West journey. Now the Manila mango is among the most beloved varieties of mango in Mexico. Though there’s plenty of love for other varieties, including Ataulfo, Haden, Criollo, Petacon, Tommy Atkins, Keitt and Kent, to name a few.

“Here, most Mexicans’ favorite way to eat mangoes is to peel them and eat them, without even slicing them. It tastes better. That’s the most traditional way here. People peel them and eat them whole. And people here eat them ripe. Very ripe. But I’ve seen people from other countries come and want to eat the green mangoes.”

The Mexican mango season starts in the spring, in the south, in the state of Chiapas with the Honey Manila variety. As the spring and summer months progress, the mangoes begin to come from the northern regions. Hadens and Tommy Atkins mangoes come from the states of Guerrero, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Sinaloa. In the mid to late summer months the Kent variety becomes available out of the state of Sinaloa. The final variety of the season is the Keitt variety, which is also available out of the state of Sinaloa. The Mexican mango season lasts until the beginning of September.

The Sponsors participating include:
Bar La Playa, El Torito, India Gate, La Nieveria, La Saranderia, Mango’s Beach Club, Mar y Tierra, Mariscos Tino’s, Mr. Boli, Muelle 7, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Nacho Daddy, Pajaritos, PV Cupcakes, Rey Del Aguachile, Sapori di Sicilia, Taberna Los 3 Hombres, Vallarta Botanical Garden and Veggie Table.

The festival is sponsored by the Jay Sadler Project with the support of Highland Park, Illinois, Sister Cities Foundation, StratosMedia, The Municipal of Puerto Vallarta, DIF, Culture and Tourism Department. The Jay Sadler Project works with DIF, Navy League of Vallarta and the American Legion Post 14 PV on Community Relations Projects.