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Salsa on the Square is about much more than dancing. The third annual headlining event from Placita Latina’s Hispanic Heritage month celebration united Hispanic and Latino cultures with food, garments and salsa dancing at Decatur’s town square.

            Translating to “little plaza,” Placita Latina seeks to expose non-Latinos to the diverse Latino culture that they otherwise may not encounter. Placita Latina co-founder Maria Alvarez said in an interview one way that they accomplish this goal.

            “People like to talk about where they are from,” Alvarez said. “A lot of Latinos are proud to share. They are united in the same mission.”

            Alvarez was born in Nicaragua and grew up in Italy. She was raised by parents who kept in touch with their heritage, a trait that she shares. She and five others got together in 2021 wanting to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month, which takes place from September 15 to October 15. They came up with the idea and name for Placita Latina and were able to execute the idea with the help of sponsors and vendors.

            It was an instant success.

            “Year one, people were dancing in the rain,” Alvarez said.

            Under only the threat of rain this time, hundreds danced to live salsa music by Atlanta Show Band and instruction from Salsatlanta. There were many first-time salsa dancers, including Atlanta native and Georgia Tech sophomore Alex Tracy.

            “It ended up being easier than I thought it would be,” Tracy said of the dancing. “I was nervous at first, but the instruction helped. I learned a lot.”

            Tracy’s experience aligns with the vision that Alvarez has for Placita Latina.

            “When you step out of your comfort zone, you embrace more difference,” Alvarez said. “It makes us a better society.”

            The festivities concluded with an afterparty performance by DJ La Superior of La Choloteca, an Atlanta based Queer Latinx brand that puts on dance parties and connects Latinx culture to social issues, per the brand’s Instagram account.

            This part of Salsa on the Square is personal to Alvarez, who says this exposure helps people to see LGBTQ Latinas like herself as human.

            “Our main mission is to let [non-Latinos] know that Latinos come in every background, shade, and color. We don’t all speak Spanish. We aren’t all Mexicans,” Alvarez said. She and the rest of Placita Latina want to show that Latinos come from different backgrounds, countries and have different food.

            That is evident in all aspects of the event, from the different flags hung from the stage where music was performed to the vast array of vendors who sold food and garments from cultures all over Central and South America.

            Salsa on the Square is one of several events that Placita Latina will host during Hispanic Heritage Month. The organization hosted a Latinx art exhibit at the Michael C. Carlos Museum on September 9, and are hosting a month-long art exhibition at the Decatur Visitor Center, concluding with a closing party for the exhibit on October 13. They will also hold a Dia de los Muertos parade that starts in the Decatur Cemetery on October 29.