Atlanta’s La Choloteca is marking its 10th anniversary during Hispanic Heritage Month, pairing Latin music, queer nightlife and practical sexual-health education. The community-led party has grown into a welcoming space where dancing, free HIV testing and cultural pride share the same room, with events and a documentary screening planned across the city.

Essential Takeaways

  • A decade of dancing: La Choloteca celebrates its 10th anniversary during Hispanic Heritage Month.
  • More than nightlife: Parties include sexual-health resources and free HIV testing.
  • Latin music at the centre: Resident DJs play music by Latinx artists across genres.
  • Events are coming up: The group will appear at Salsa on the Square and return with Vibrazo.
  • A film adds another layer: A documentary linked to La Choloteca will screen at Out on Film.

La Choloteca turns nightlife into a space for belonging

The strongest thing about La Choloteca isn't simply the music. It's the feeling of arriving somewhere that wants you there, whether you're dancing, chatting, learning about sexual health or just taking in the warm, busy atmosphere.

Founded by advocacy organiser Josephine Figueroa, also known as DJ La Superiorrr, the Atlanta party grew from a desire to connect queer nightlife with honest, accessible education. Figueroa has spoken about challenging the shame often attached to bodies, pleasure and sexuality, particularly in communities shaped by conservative or religious expectations.

That approach fits naturally within Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from 15 September to 15 October. National resources from the National Park Service and the US National Archives describe the observance as a chance to recognise Hispanic history, culture and contributions across the United States.

Ten years of Latin music, queer joy and community care

La Choloteca's soundtrack is deliberately broad. Its three resident DJs, Figueroa, Brian Rojas and Brook Sprickman, known as DJ Nena Linda, play music by Latinx artists across genres rather than treating Latin music as a single, neatly packaged sound.

That matters because the party's identity is cultural as well as musical. Figueroa has described growing up without many Latinx peers and feeling disconnected from her identity, before finding a deeper sense of belonging during a visit to Peru as a teenager.

The wider Hispanic and Latino community in the US is far from one-size-fits-all, a point reflected in demographic information from the US Census Bureau. Language, nationality, race, gender and regional experience all shape how people understand their identity, so a dance floor that makes room for that variety can feel quietly powerful.

Free HIV testing keeps the conversation practical

Alongside the dancing, community organisers provide sexual-health information and free HIV testing. It gives La Choloteca a useful edge: the party isn't treating wellness as a lecture that sits outside nightlife, but as part of looking after one another.

That combination can also help make testing feel less intimidating. Instead of a clinic waiting room and a formal appointment, visitors encounter information in a social setting where conversation is already flowing and stigma has less room to take over.

National observance guides from the US Courts and Saginaw Valley State University highlight the importance of recognising Hispanic heritage through education, culture and community participation. La Choloteca brings those ideas down to street level, with music, movement and straightforward support.

Where to find La Choloteca in Atlanta

La Choloteca is scheduled to take part in the Salsa on the Square block party in downtown Decatur on 19 September, running from 4pm to 10pm. An afterparty will follow at Roaring Social from 10pm to 1am, with proceeds supporting Poder Unides.

The monthly Vibrazo evening party is also due to return on 26 September from 6pm to 11pm, although the venue was still to be announced. Anyone planning to attend should check La Choloteca's website or Instagram before setting off, as event details can shift.

For newcomers, the best preparation is refreshingly simple: check the age and entry rules, bring identification if required, and arrive ready to share the space. Comfortable shoes are probably the only serious wardrobe advice.

A documentary extends the conversation beyond the dance floor

Figueroa has also produced a short documentary with director Aubri Escalera. Eight Heels and a Hard Truth follows Jenny Sin Censura, a Mexican-born trans woman whose story moves through silence, violence and erasure in the Deep South before turning towards visibility and self-determination.

The film is set to screen on 30 September at 7pm at Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema as part of Atlanta's Reel Resistance Fellowship Showcase at Out on Film. Tickets are available through the festival's website.

That wider programme gives La Choloteca's anniversary year a thoughtful second act. A party can offer release for a few hours, while a film can preserve the harder stories that communities are still working to tell. Together, they make the milestone feel less like a birthday and more like a living record of Atlanta's queer Latinx culture.

It's a small dance floor with a big purpose, and La Choloteca's next decade looks worth following.

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