This week in Puerto Vallarta is a mix of celebrations, construction cones, and big-ticket events. Revolution Day brings an early-morning parade and street closures downtown, while Festival Gourmet winds through its final nights in kitchens across the bay. New art and tattoo fairs, a BMW motorcycle summit, and packed beach clubs all signal that high season is no longer on the horizon—it is already here, and the city is bracing for full holiday crowds and busy beaches.
Puerto Vallarta This Week: Streets, Weather And Travel
Heat and humidity are still in control of the bay. Forecasts call for daytime highs near 30–32°C and muggy nights, with several days flagged as “very unhealthy” for air quality because of haze and stagnant conditions. People with respiratory issues may want to time walks for early morning or after sunset, when the air feels a little less heavy.
The city is also still working through the aftermath of last month’s flooding, when the remnants of Tropical Storm Raymond swamped several colonias and damaged more than 700 homes, 85 businesses, and two schools. State civil protection officers have kept a visible presence in affected areas while they check unstable slopes and riverbanks, reminding residents not to try crossing flooded streets during the next round of heavy rain.
Against that backdrop, Puerto Vallarta this week is shifting into full high-season mode. The weekend brought packed beaches and events like the Pacific Games CrossFit competition, and the pace will only increase as November moves toward U.S. Thanksgiving and the Christmas rush.
The biggest midweek disruption will be the Revolution Day parade on Thursday, November 20. City officials have announced that traffic in Centro will start closing from 7:00 a.m., with a shorter route this year because of construction work to extend the Malecón toward Parque Hidalgo. Drivers who usually cut through downtown in the morning should plan extra time or use Libramiento and the hotel zone instead. Full details are posted on the official parade route and street closure map on local government sites, which show the procession finishing near Parque Hidalgo rather than looping back along the seafront.
Beyond Centro, road news matters for anyone coming in from Guadalajara. Jalisco’s infrastructure ministry says two new lateral lanes on the final stretch of the Vía Corta Guadalajara–Puerto Vallarta should open to traffic within about ten days, easing the connection into the Las Juntas junction while crews finish complementary works. The announcement comes just days after a deadly head-on collision on the Tepic–Puerto Vallarta toll road near Sayulita, where six people from Guanajuato died and seven more were injured. Authorities are again urging drivers to respect speed limits and take breaks on the drive in and out of the bay.
Visitors arriving by plane or cruise ship also need to watch for a new charge. After months of debate, Puerto Vallarta’s long-discussed tourist tax is scheduled to start this month at the airport and port. The fee is set at 141 pesos per visitor and will feed a local fund for tourism projects once a new committee is formally seated. Travelers landing this week should keep an eye out for payment counters or online payment instructions attached to their reservation, as operators roll out the collection system in phases.
On the water, recent storms and swells have led authorities to hoist red flags on some beaches at times, warning against swimming. Lifeguards and civil protection crews say conditions can change quickly, especially near river mouths, where currents remain strong after the October floods. If you plan to swim at Los Muertos, Camarones, or the northern hotel-zone beaches, the simple rule remains the same: no one should be in the water when the red flags are up, no matter how inviting the waves look.
Festivals, Art And Nightlife Around The Bay
If the streets are busy, the kitchens are even busier. The 30th edition of Festival Gourmet International runs through November 23, turning dozens of restaurants and resort dining rooms into a ten-day showcase for visiting chefs and local talent. According to the Festival Gourmet International program, participating venues are staging everything from tasting menus and wine pairings to beachfront picnics, so the final nights this week are prime time for last-minute reservations if you want to join the party.
Art lovers get something new, too. From November 20 to 22, Puerto Vallarta hosts the first MUYGUUD Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo, which aims to position the city as a fresh hub for contemporary work in Mexico. Organizers say galleries, independent artists, and collectors will gather for three days of exhibitions, talks, and sales, with a strong push to connect the local scene to international buyers. For residents, it is a chance to see cutting-edge pieces without leaving town; for visitors, it adds another reason to spend a day away from the beach.
Ink takes the spotlight over the weekend. Expo Tattoo Puerto Vallarta 2025, branded “Playa & Tinta,” lands at Puerto Mágico from November 22 to 23, bringing tattoo artists, live demonstrations, music, and special shows to the city’s cruise-terminal complex. Organizers pitch it as a family-friendly event by day and a more adult scene at night. Details on the Expo Tattoo Puerto Vallarta 2025 schedule are posted on the official tourism website and event pages, including opening hours and ticket information.
Saturday morning stays faithful to a now classic routine. The Olas Altas Farmers Market continues its new season at Parque Lázaro Cárdenas in the Zona Romántica, running every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. through early April. More than one hundred local vendors set up under the jacarandas and mosaic benches, selling produce, baked goods, ready-to-eat food, crafts, and artwork. For many locals, it is the unofficial weekly town square, where people grab coffee, shop, and catch up on neighborhood news.
Motors will be as loud as the mariachi this weekend in Marina Vallarta. The Cumbre de BMW Amigos Motociclistas Puerto Vallarta 2025 runs from Thursday evening through Saturday night, based around a venue on Avenida Paseo de la Marina Sur. Riders from across Mexico are expected to roll in for group rides, concerts, and social events. Residents near the marina should be ready for heavier traffic and more engine noise than usual, especially during late-night arrivals and departures.
On the LGBTQ side of the scene, beach clubs are already treating November like a holiday month. Mantamar Beach Club is promoting a Brawny Bear weekend around November 21–23, followed by a string of Thanksgiving-themed pool parties later in the month. Combined with the usual bar and club shows across the Zona Romántica, it means daytime sunbathing will roll straight into late-night dance floors, and the area around Lázaro Cárdenas and Olas Altas will stay lively well past midnight.
For anyone planning their days, the pattern is clear. Mornings are best for getting across town before the Revolution Day parade closures and traffic snarls, or for strolling the farmers market before the sun reaches its peak. Afternoons and evenings belong to chefs, artists, tattooists, and DJs as Festival Gourmet, MUYGUUD, and Expo Tattoo fill the calendar. By the time Sunday night arrives, Puerto Vallarta this week will have shown why the city’s high season is as much about local life as it is about tourists on the sand.
