By Joey Amato
Are you planning on visiting Nashville for Pride this year? If so, we would like to offer you some suggestions on the best places to stay, play, dine and visit while in Music City. From the Frist Art Museum to Canvas Lounge, this article offers something for everyone.
WHERE TO DINE
Suzy Wong’s House of Yum
Suzy Wong’s House of Yum is the creation of celebrity Chef Arnold Myint, who also owns PM Café and Blvd. The name references the popular 1950’s novel, The World of Suzie Wong — the story of a beautiful Asian “lady of the evening” falling in love with an American diplomat, played by William Holden in the camp classic 1960 movie. Myint presents his diners with “a brothel of epicurean delights” serving a cornucopia of Asian cuisine along with creative cocktails. Don’t miss their famous Drag’N Brunch which takes place every Saturday and Sunday. Try the Hong Kong Millionaire, a hangover cure consisting of BBQ pulled pork, bacon, scrambled eggs, queso, tomato confit and fries. If you’re craving a bit more booze, try Suzy’s Brunch Punch. You won’t leave unhappy.
WHERE TO PLAY
Church Street & Beyond
Nashville offers a nice selection of gay bars. Church Street is home to three: Tribe, Canvas and Play Dance Bar, the place to go if you want to see a spectacular drag performance. Lipstick Lounge is located in East Nashville, just a short Lyft ride from downtown. Also not too far away are Peckers and Trax. If you want to visit our world-famous honky tonks, just head down to Broadway where you can party the night away.
WHERE TO STAY
21c Museum Hotel/Hotel Indigo/Fairfield Inn & Suites
Located in the heart of downtown, and just a few blocks from Public Square Park, where Nashville Pride will take place, 21c Museum Hotel and Hotel Indigo are perfect places for your stay in Nashville. The properties are both known for being LGBT+ friendly and welcoming to everyone. Located just a few minutes south of town, in The Gulch, is the Fairfield Inn & Suites. Their rooftop bar and patio offer the best views of Music City. Even if you don’t stay here, it’s still worth a visit to get the perfect Instagram shot of Nashville.
WHERE TO VISIT
Frist Art Museum/Country Music Hall of Fame
Not too far from the Nashville Pride Festival are the Frist Art Museum and Country Music Hall of Fame. Both are must-see attractions if this is your first time visiting our city. Monsters & Myths: Surrealism and War in the 1930s and 1940s opens at the Frist the week before Nashville Pride and will feature works by Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and more. This exhibition explores the Surrealists’ portrayals of monsters, fragmented bodies and other depictions of the grotesque as metaphors for the destabilizing consequences of war and psychological fears and fantasies of unbridled power.
The Country Music Hall of Fame will showcase an exhibition on The Judds containing rare artifacts, original manuscripts, unpublished photos and keepsake costumes. The Judds: Dream Chasers will follow the popular duo from their mother-and-child beginnings to their chart-topping career peak as one of the most successful duos in country music history. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s, The Judds scored 20 Top Ten hits, including 14 #1s. The duo won five Grammys, nine CMA awards and seven ACM awards.
