boiMAGazine "Puerto Vallarta" by boiMAGazine & boiMAG.com

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COVER MODEL Nate Quinto

Introduction to Paradise Past and Present

Brought into the tourism spotlight by some famous Hollywood celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (right), and offering a broad range

where tourists of all types mix and mingle at the beach, in cafes, shops, restaurants and bars, as well as on the newly widened and covered sidewalks around the neighborhood. In the past decade, many gay ex-Patriots from North America have joined locals in opening businesses in the area to cater to gay tourism, creating a vibrant mix of unique and friendly outlets.

Puerto Vallarta’s Annual Vallarta Pride festival takes place in the end of May. of gay bars and nightclubs, gay-owned The 10-day event includes an antirestaurants, hotels, stores, services, and homophobia march, a Pride Rally, entertainment that established the concerts, fashion shows, drag shows, destination in a league of its own, it is no wonder Puerto Vallarta has been a favorite wedding ceremonies and women’s parties. More details can be found at: among LGBT travelers for decades. (The never before printed photo of Elizabeth Taylor http://vallartapride.com/en/home & Richard Burton in Puerto Vallarta is courtesy of Alexander Andriadis/Rivera Del Rio Hotel.)

On January 27, when Mexico’s Supreme Court struck down a Jalisco law that In recent years, the Puerto Vallarta Tourism limited marriage to one man and Board, the entity responsible for promoting one woman, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico’s quintessential LGBT destination became the destination in the US and Canada has the newest city to say “I do” to samepartnered with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance sex weddings legally. Most resorts, like Against Defamation, GMHC and the International Gay Lesbian Travel Association the Almar Resort, Casa Velas or the Costa Sur Hotel and Spa, which has to promote the destination to the LGBT already hosted hundreds of same-sex market. In 2014, Puerto Vallarta became the first Mexican destination to participate weddings, have in-house wedding planners who can fulfill every want and in a World Pride with its Noche Alegre need of any bridezilla, male or female, event during the World Pride celebrations plus coordinate plenty of things with in Toronto, and in 2015 the tourism board enough local flavor to spare for guests became the first destination to sponsor the Human Rights Campaign on a national to do in between wedding activities. Alternative locations such as Vallarta level. Adventure’s Las Caletas clove offers a private middle-of-the-ocean location Many of Gay Puerto Vallarta’s main under the star and on the shores of the attractions can be found in the Zona Pacific Ocean. Romantica, a delightfully walkable area

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Places and Activities in Puerto Vallarta Food Tours, a 3-hour food tasting and walking

tours offers a local’s view into Puerto Vallarta’s culture through its delicious and intricate cuisine, rich history and stunning architecture. Suitable for all age groups and fitness levels, Vallarta Food Tours invites patrons to experience off-thebeaten path eateries and their colorful owners and staff, taco stands and regional delicacies.

Bar-Hopping Tour, this type of tour proposes

to experiment a unique adventure. The friendly and professional gay staff organizes a guided immersion in gay Puerto Vallarta’s nightclubs, a wonderful experience to meet people all over the world and to keep great memories of the nightlife.

Vallarta Adventures is Puerto Vallarta’s

premier tour and activity operator. They offer a wide selection of adventure-based tours and excursions with things to do for people of all ages, from zip lines to swimming with dolphins, whale watching to snorkeling, scuba diving to an awardwinning dinner show. In the Zona Romantica, Almar Resort Luxury All Suites & Spa is a cutting-edge luxury hotel incorporating the best traditions of Mexico into a beautiful setting, offering even the most exacting guests accommodations with style and distinction. Luxury meets distinctive contemporary design in each of the more than 120 suites which all offer spectacular ocean views and the private terraces.

CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa (Marina) is a luxury resort that offers all the amenities for that perfect vacation, which has a fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, and the most spacious spa in Puerto Vallarta and a place that you can enjoy savory moments in one of the four fabulous restaurants of the resort..

Costa Sur (South) with more than 30

years of outstanding service, it was one of the first hotels built in the South Shore of Puerto Vallarta, overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches on the bay. The building embodies a true Mexican feeling, with strong, thick walls and spacious bedrooms all of which have mesmerizing views of Banderas Bay. One of the most unique features in Costa Sur is its private beach which has become popular for gay weddings.

Hotel Mercurio (Zona Romantica) is

renowned for excellence in service, friendly bilingual staff, gourmet breakfasts and unparalleled location right in the heart of the “Zona Romantica.” Steps from its door, guests will find Vallarta’s world famous gay beach and the vibrant nightlife, restaurants and shopping that the “gayborhood” offers. They also get good high ranks according to online guest reviews. Villa Estrella Mar, truly one the finest rentals in Puerto Vallarta. Villa Estrella Mar can sleep a whopping sixteen guests in seven indescribably unique bedrooms suites. You can bring a group of friends and enjoy the vacation of a lifetime with your own heated pool, drinks a convenient poolside bar, have a full time staff of eight at your access, including private chefs, and direct access to a secluded beach. Puerto Vallarta is a LGBT welcoming place and it's just a few minute walk into the heart of Old Town. At this villa, you can also plan an event or say “I do” in paradise! Villas Enrique is steps away from the Los Muertos beach, the biggest gay beach in Mexico. The villas are close to the gay clubs, where you can find excellent dining, cabaret nightclubs and there are even popular tour destinations to explore and enjoy. Guests can start their morning at Villas Enrique with a full breakfast, enjoy a massage in the afternoon and then sit back with a margarita on the terrace while watching the sun set. Later, you can head out to dance the night away at one of the many gay club spots..

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Places and Activities (continued from a following page)

Casa Ladera is Steps from Los Muertos

Beach and this deluxe villa, for years the home of an American architect/artist, and his designer wife has combined the very best of old-world Mexican charm, with every modern convenience. Original art and artifacts give the house a level of personal charm rarely seen in rental property. The octagonal living room opens on every side to either the pool or one of four al fresco dining areas. Each of the four bedrooms opens via grand double doors to a beautifully landscaped sunning terrace. With daily maid service and optional cook, the villa offers you a chance to experience Mexico as it can and should be. Casa Cupula, serving the LGBT community since 2002, is one of the finest luxury boutique hotel in the Zona Romantica area of Puerto Vallarta. In the last 15 years, Casa Cupula has grown from a small guesthouse to an 18-room hotel with a worldwide reputation for their sophisticated luxury and relaxing hospitality. This indulgent hilltop retreat overlooking Banderas Bay is close to everything but also it

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is secluded and private. Casa Cupula’s friendly staff embrace each guest as a friend, no matter who you are or where you come from. There’s something for everyone, whether it’s a romantic private anniversary dinner for two, or a highenergy DJ pool party.

Medical Tourism? They have that covered

too, for visitors looking for medical treatments, Puerto Vallarta, it's home to state-of-the-art facilities and specialized in medical tourism, where internationally renowned doctors offer plastic surgery, dental treatments, orthopedics, insemination in vitro, stem cells, bariatric surgery, oncology, hemodialysis and ophthalmology treatments. The AmeriMed Vallarta Hospital and the San Javier Puerto Vallarta Hospital are located in the heart of the "hotel zone" and are known for their quality of service experienced multidisciplinary teams trained to use cuttingedge technology to deliver integrated services and guarantee the best attention to all of its patients.

Experiences Found in Puerto Vallarta that you don't necessarily find in Chicago

A crowd of taxi drivers standing outside the PVR airport pleading to take you to your destination. Then traveling fast down riddled stone streets in a taxi, more fun than a Six Flags amusement park ride, you’ll be ready for margaritas at your hotel and to hear the soothing Pacific coast water waves. The iguana looks like some prehistoric lizard measuring 5-6 feet long. You can take a picture with one on the beach, but it will set you back a few pesos. However, drivers actually stop their vehicles to allow an iguana to cross the road. Question: Why did the iguana cross the road? Answer: To cause a perfect photo-op traffic jam! Try the guacamole topped with fried crickets. Perhaps you can muster the courage to eat them, they are crunchy with a mesquite flavor. Once you get over the idea of eating a cricket, you'll keep coming back for more. Beach vendors descend on the most popular beach areas, as you may feel that your watching a “live” version of the home shopping network right at the foot of your beach loungechair. Note these are not street beggars, but hardworking locals hawking everything from sombreros to phallic pipes. Cash and carry! 12 boiMAG

Friendly papis who smile and waiters are adorably helpful. You probably won't see anyone taking a siesta under a large sombrero, except perhaps a gringo at the beach, but by chance, you might see a burro tied to a pole, similar to chaining up a bicycle. Instead of sitting on your ass, you can literally ride an ass! Watching sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, maneuvering steep narrow brick streets, listening to soothing waves wash ashore and year-round sunshine without much humidity.

For more than 13 years, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce has presented one of the most unique and popular art festivals in Chicagoland known as "The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts" which showcases more than 150 exhibiting artists, featuring paintings, sculpture, photography, furniture, jewelry and whole lot more. The original pieces will be for sale in a wide range of price ranges. In addition to the art, the Festival has The Festival of the Arts will take place become a center of on Broadway, from Belmont to Hawthorne activity for the weekend with live Art, Music, Food & Family Activities dates and Time demonstrations, Saturday, September 9th entertainment stages, family activities and a 10am-7pm Art Show, music continues until 10pm garden oasis. Sunday, September 10th Every aspect, from 10am-6pm Art Show, music continues until 6pm artists to musicians to vendors and everything in between, is specifically selected by the hard working folks at Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce in order to bring the best to you in the heart of Lakeview. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then here are some of the artists that will be at the fair and what you might see from them. Please note that this is only a small random sample of the wide range of great artists and their artwork along with many others that will at the fair. On these pages, the artist name will be associated with their art. Matthew Adamczyk

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Hand painted silk art N. Irena Farejowicz

Anastasia Alexandrin

Jewelry Art Nadine King

Matthew Coglianese Jewelry Art Sue Rosengard

Lidia Wylangowska Esteban Kremen Tim Jarosz

Dan Cuevas

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SuperHero: The Resistance Party Presented by Circuit Mom & Crew Market Days Weekend 2017 Arragon Theater

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Live Theater

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In The Know... on the go... Don’t forget that The Great American Lobster Fest will be going on over Labor Day Weekend, September 1st, 2nd and 3rd, at Chicago’s Navy Pier. For more information, ticket options, Lobster Hero Tables or to pre-order a lobster meal ticket and a full lineup of entertainment, visit www.americanlobsterfest.com. If you haven’t made it to the the Bristol Renaissance Faire yet, they will be open through Labor Day Monday and it would be a great way to spend the holiday weekend. Open Sat., Sun., and Labor Day Monday, through September 4, 2017 from 10am until 7pm. More info. is at www.renfair.com/bristol/ The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts, which showcases more than 150 exhibiting artists and features paintings, sculpture, photography, furniture, jewelry and whole lot more will take place on Broadway, from Belmont to Hawthorne on Saturday, September 9th from 10am-7pm for the Art Show, but the music continues until 10pm and again on Sunday, September 10th 10am-6pm Art Show and continues until 6pm. The UP Center of Champaign County will host the 8th annual CU Pride and Parade on September 15th through September 17th in Downtown Champaign. The festivities start on Friday with a special CU Comedy Fundraiser at Soma Ultralounge with headliners including Chicago based comedian and actor Shannon Noll and Whitney Chitwood whose been featured by MoveOn.Org and OUT Chicago. Friday’s official CU Pride Party will be held at 51 Main in Downtown Champaign and will feature a number of local performances including a special appearance by Jade Sotomayor from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 1. The UP Center kicks off Saturday festivities with a free family-friendly area sponsored by www.Chambanamoms.com and Pride Vendors at noon in the city parking lot, located at Hill & Neil Streets. The family friendly & vendor area will be open from 12pm-6pm and the Pride Parade will step off at 4pm in Downtown Champaign. The parade kicks off at the corner of Main & Walnut proceeding to Washington Street where it will turn east and end. This year’s Pride Parade Grand Marshall is Director

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of the Illinois Office of Tourism Cory Jobe and will be Co-MC’d by Leiloni Stars and Calexus Carrington-Steele. Pride Films & Plays presents the world premiere production of The CiviliTy of Albert Cashier, a true story of a Civil War soldier with a secret, that Albert was born Jennifer Hodgers. It caused an uproar in the small southern Illinois community where Cashier lived, Cashier was prosecuted for impersonating a soldier. The musical is now playing at Stage 773, at 1225 W. Belmont Ave. through October 15th, starring former Glee project star and America’s Got Talent Contestant Dani Shay. Opening night is Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule is Wed. and Thurs. at 7pm, Fri. and Sat. at 8pm and Sun. at 4pm. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at www.stage773.com. For more info. go to www.albertcashierthemusical.com. Writers Theatre opens its 2017-18 season with the world premiere of Trevor, a coming-of-age story about identity, emerging sexuality and the struggles of growing up in a world that may not be ready for you. The musical is going on now through Sept. 17 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. Tickets range from $35-$80, and can be purchased online at www.writerstheatre.org, by phone at 847-242-6000, or in person at the box office at 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe. Hell in a Handbag Productions presents the premiere of Bewildered, a musical parody of the classic TV sitcom Bewitched, told from the perspective of Gladys Kravitz, Samantha Stephens’ iconic nosy neighbor. Bewildered will play Sept. 27 thrugh Nov. 11 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are available at www.handbagproductions.org, by calling 773.327-5252 or in person at the Stage 773 box office. The LGBTQ film festival Reeling celebrates its 35th anniversary with an exciting slate of movies that showcases the amazing diversity of the queer experience. Chicago’s international festival unreels Sept. 21st through 28th at Landmark Theatres’ Century Centre Cinema, with the opening night premiere at Music Box Theatre. Tickets go on sale September 1 at www.reelingfilmfestival.org.