Salsa series returns to heat up summer in Northampton

McCoy Jamison, pictured giving a salsa lesson in Holyoke, will be part of the Salsa in the Park celebration in Northampton.
Reminder Publishing file photo

NORTHAMPTON — In an effort to fill the streets with a lively atmosphere through music and dance, the Salsa in the Plaza and Salsa in the Park series will return to downtown Northampton this summer.

Salsa in the Plaza returned on Monday, June 1, and will take place every Monday until August 31 from 7-9 p.m. at the EJ Gare Plaza.

The public is invited to come and enjoy a creative mix of Latin and Afro-Caribbean rhythms like salsa and bachata, merengue & cha-cha, kizomba and more.

Presented by the city of Northampton and Dancejoy, and hosted by McCoy Jamison, the event is focused on community, joy and culture, according to the organizers. Northampton Arts Council Events Producer Steve Sanderson told Reminder Publishing that all attendees need to bring is themselves and their energy.

In that same spirit, the Salsa in the Park series also returns for the 2026 season. The city’s Arts and Culture Department is once again inviting the public for celebrations of salsa through world-class Latin music, community connection and open-air dancing at Pulaski Park.

Set for Saturday, Aug. 1, Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday, Sept. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., Salsa in the Park welcomes dancers to participate for free in the series designed for all ages and skill levels. The city installed a professional portable wooden dance floor over the café section’s stone pebbles. to provide a smooth and safe surface for everyone to move.

Sanderson said Salsa in the Park has become a beloved community event due to its high energy through dance and music.

“We like the DJs to be able to spin vinyl. It’s really cool when a DJ can mix from multiple records on a turntable, and July is just too hot,” said Sanderson on the event’s uniqueness, popularity and late summer run. “It was an idea that was brought to me by my friends DJ Rodger and Mark Guglielmo, and they were both salsa dancers and DJs, and they really thought that having a salsa event in Pulaski Park would be incredibly successful … they really believed in the idea. I give them full credit, and so we brought it to life. When they pitched it to me, I knew it was immediately what downtown Northampton needed.”

The 2026 event kicks off on Aug. 1 with a special choreography performance and instruction by Dancejoy, featuring McCoy Jamison. Aug. 28 will feature a massive double bill with DJ Bongohead and powerhouse headliners Cheo Y Los Consentidos. The season finale on Sept. 5 includes a high-energy set by DJ Bongohead.

Sanderson said the salsa gatherings connect the community with the cultures tied to salsa dancing’s history.

“I like to see all kinds of people from every walk of life in downtown Northampton enjoying our beautiful park, enjoying music from any culture, and it’s wonderful that it [these salsa events] brings together people from different walks of life,” added Sanderson. “When Salsa in the Park is happening, downtown Northampton feels like a real city. There’s something about the smell of food mixing with the music that makes it feel like a bigger city than it actually is.”

In case of inclement weather, follow @nohoarts on Instagram for updates, as cancellation notices will be posted by 10 a.m. on the day of the event. For more information on this year’s Salsa in the Park series, visit www.northamptonartscouncil.org.

Sanderson said both events are perfect for the summer months, and the late summer dates specifically serve as a great time to bring salsa to Pulaski Park because it is the home stretch before fall begins.

“People tend to vacation in July, so in August you want to go out and you want to do things because in the back of your mind is that impending doom, fall and then winter is coming, so you want to get out when you can still wear your shorts and your skirts and tank tops and get out there and dance and be sweaty and be happy, and Salsa in the Park gives you that,” Sanderson said. “Also, if you don’t know how to dance, you’re still welcome there. You can be a terrible dancer and come and have a great time. Nobody’s going to judge you, just come and move your body.”