Salsa Social
Pratt Street
Hartford
Sept. 18, 2026
The Salsa Social on Pratt Street is one of the most popular events in the city. I spent the whole summer telling myself I’d go to the next one, until I realized last week the next one would be the last one of the year. So I made the time last Friday to go cut the rug in downtown Hartford.
All sorts of people came out to dance, like Jasmine Lozada Hilliker. I found her teaching a gentleman the basics of salsa, which is all the more impressive because she’s only been dancing salsa since May. She has a dancer’s pedigree though, having danced jazz, tap, ballet and contemporary styles for over 15 years.
Jasmine said the biggest difference between salsa and those other dance styles is that salsa is a partner dance, and that adds a new layer to it. “I think that's part of why it's so fun, because I have a lot of fun dancing by myself, but dancing with a partner and having that back and forth, and laughing when you make mistakes,” she said. “Some of my best memories are laughing on the dance floor, and you don't get that dancing by yourself.”
She’d already been to several of the summer salsa shindigs, saying that it reminds her of when she lived in Florida and used to dance outside at night and take in the local nightlife. In fact, she said she was out as much for the coffee at Taza Cafe on Pratt Street as for the dancing; she was eager to try their new coquito latte.
It makes me happy that Jasmine mentioned a specific business she comes to enjoy in addition to the dancing. I’ve lived in Hartford a long time, and Pratt Street (all of downtown, unfortunately) has had a difficult time keeping businesses afloat. It’s great that these events are translating to foot traffic for them.
On the other side of the spectrum are Dan and Becky Nevelos. Hailing from the far away land of Vernon, the two are not only new to salsa, but to dancing in general. It’s a hobby they picked up this year after their son, Ian, left for college at UConn. They may be new, but they’re not amateurs; they’ve been taking lessons and came down to the capitol city to strut their stuff.
“We just enjoy being outside with people,” Dan said. “It’s a great atmosphere.”
“And you can’t beat the music,” Becky added.
If nothing else, it’s always fun to see hot people doing something hot like dancing. But as corny as it sounds, these kinds of events really do draw different people together, and they really do interact with each other. I saw people laughing and switching partners constantly, drinking and smoking and vibing. An impromptu conga line even formed as the evening winded down. It was a nice sendoff for summer as we prepare for the long winter ahead.
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Jamil goes to a new art exhibit in Hartford to let it burn.
