Despite the freezing January temperatures outside, The Pond House Cafe’s main room provided a warm, welcoming space last weekend for Muslims from across Connecticut at the state’s first Crescent Ball.

“Tonight is about presence. It’s about joy. It’s about allowing ourselves to be able to celebrate without explanation,” said Rep. Maryam Khan, part of the organizing committee and the first Muslim woman elected to the Connecticut General Assembly, in her opening speech at the event.

Connecticut is home to more than 100,000 Muslims from different diasporas, as well as recent arrivals from the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia, united by the religion of Islam.

Four months of planning by Khan, Muna Abbas, Zeenie Malik, Hanifa Shaikh and Farah Suede, resulted in the first ball, which invited Muslims from all races, ethnicities, backgrounds and corners of the state to meet at the heart of Hartford and West Hartford’s Elizabeth Park Conservancy. 

“Muslim spaces are often centered around urgency, crisis, responsibility, and while that’s important, tonight is different,” Khan said.

While major gathering venues do exist in Connecticut, such as the Islamic Center of Connecticut, the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford and the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, the women’s work to create the ball paved the way to a new space of Muslim convergence.

For Abbas, while there are new local coffeeshops emerging as hubs for Muslims — like Yemerica Coffee in West Hartford or Muslims of the World Coffee and Pastries in New Haven and Middletown — the places to socialize, outside a mosque, in a public space are limited. 

The Crescent Ball was an initiative to address the need to get together, not worry if the food is halal or not, and not get questioned why one does not drink or wears a hijab. It was meant as a safe space to exist, share a meal, listen to music, spoken word, and meet other Muslims.

“This month and this evening helps recognize the abundant contributions that the Muslim community and our heritage has made to the state. It pushes us to connect, create and build something together in rooms just like this one,” Abbas said.

Inside the venue, each place setting was adorned in part by one of the nearly 200 cake pops sized, measured and baked by organizing committee member Shaikh, who not only committed the week prior to bake for the ball, but also enjoyed developing a sisterhood with the rest of the organizers.

At the center of each table sat colorful artwork drawn by children through the Farmington Valley American Muslim Center, one of the partners that helped make the event happen.

Syrian American rapper and spoken word artist, Omar Offendum, performed last minute at the ball, offering songs about displacement, belonging and identity. The crowd clapped and danced to the rhythm. 

“Always glad to give back to the community; with all of these things happening in the country, uplifting events like this one are necessary to be up and proud,” Offendum said. 

Young adult Rakhshan Khan, who was born and raised in Connecticut, has seen the Muslim groups growing over the years, and looks forward to meeting local family business owners outside her Pakistani Muslim community.

“It’s nice that there’s finally something that everyone can come together, celebrate and enjoy each other’s company,” Khan said.

When host Ali Ezedine, who is known by the stage name ‘You will know Ali’, asked the crowd if they knew January was Muslim Heritage Month, less than 10 people raised their hands. Abbas hopes that changed after the ball.

“Promise me that you will think and hopefully do something about how to nurture, uplift and build the power and unity that we know can be cultivated for Muslims in Connecticut,” Abbas said looking to the crowd. “This is your night. This is your month. Connecticut is lucky to have you, and we are lucky to have Connecticut.”