A Destination with Spirit for LGBTQ+ Travelers: Louisville, Kentucky – Where Bourbon Meets Diversity

Kentucky bourbon has long been celebrated as Louisville's signature spirit.

But a spirit of open-minded LGBTQ+ inclusion has become another hallmark of this remarkable American city. Louisville is a trending destination on Airbnb, and one of Travel + Leisure magazine's of the 50 best places to travel in 2024.

So, make it a double, and plan a visit to raise a glass to one of the country's most under-the-radar LGTBQ+ destinations, located in the heart of the Bluegrass state.

(Speaking of doubles, Louisville hosts two annual pride celebrations: Kentuckiana Pride, shared with neighboring Indiana each June, and Louisville Pride in September.)

Fall in Love with Fall in Louisville

Autumn is the ideal season for a visit to Louisville, as the weather cools and the leaves on the trees wave a spectacular rainbow of their own. Purple dogwoods, red sumacs, orange sugar maples, golden hickories and vibrant red sweet gum trees can be found over hundreds of acres of the city's Olmsted-designed parks.

The month is ushered in by Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky's Queer Bourbon Week, which is making its debut in 2024.

Celebrated in eight towns throughout the state, the festivities are spearheaded by the Louisville-based non-profit organization Queer Kentucky. The week's Louisville events include special distillery tours, tastings, and mixology masterclasses specifically tailored to LGBTQ+ tipplers.

Of course, Louisville's distilleries and tasting rooms welcome queer visitors all year round. Nicknamed "the Wall Street of whiskey," the city is home to over a dozen distilleries, making everything from cult small-batch favorites to internationally acclaimed brands, including Michter's and Evan Williams.

The Urban Bourbon Trail introduces visitors to bars and restaurants featuring some of the city's largest bourbon collections and best bourbon-based cuisine.

More Ways to Celebrate this Season

Louisville's October may begin with booze, but it ends with "Boos!"

The month-long Jack O'Lantern Spectacular takes place each night along a winding path through Iroquois Park. Over 5,000 artistically carved pumpkins wink and grin at passersby. With entry allowed as late as 11 pm on weekends, this gourd-geous outdoor spectacle is the perfect place to wind down your evening or kick off a big night on the town.

October is also LGBTQ+ history month, and this year visitors can salute queer pioneers at an official state historical marker recently unveiled at Belgravia Court in Old Louisville. It honors lesbian couple Marge Jones and Tracy Knight, who not only initiated legal action when their 1970 application for a marriage license was declined, but also took the moment to help found the city's first queer advocacy organization, The Louisville Gay Liberation Front.

(While stopping by to pay tribute, duck into Old Louisville's nearby Magnolia Bar – "Magbar" in local shorthand – an inviting, all-inclusive dive that's been serving the queer community since 1962.)

Today's Gayborhoods

While Old Louisville is where queer liberation got rolling last century, the center of residential gay life in the city today is the Highlands. Tree-lined streets, colorful murals, and Victorian homes complement some of Louisville's favorite LGBTQ+ watering holes, which makes for an unusually charming bar hop.

Chill Bar features a huge patio, perfect for making new friends and taking in the last warm days of the year. Within easy walking distance are the Outlook Inn, with two pool tables, a renowned Bloody Mary, and, of course, an epic bourbon selection; and perennially popular Big Bar, known for fabulous frozen drinks and friendly bartenders eager to welcome out of town visitors.

Following happy hour or early evening cocktails in the Highlands, LGBTQ+ locals and tourists often make their way to the downtown-adjacent Nulu neighborhood to dance the night away at Play, a massive queer nightspot whose "Playmates" put on the city's most elaborate drag shows.

Performing Arts with Queer Appeal

As one of the American South's capitals of culture, Louisville hosts a wide array of performing arts events all year round. This fall, there are several offerings that LGBTQ+ visitors may want to build a visit around:

● A festive pre-Halloween screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with reminiscences from special guest speaker Barry Bostwick, who plays "Brad"in the movie. Louisville Palace Theatre, Oct. 12.

● Seven-time Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves brings her contemporary country sounds to town on her "Deeper Well World Tour." KFC Yum! Center, Nov. 12

● Comedic "RuPaul's Drag Race" sensations Jinx Monsoon and Ben DelaCreme in their outrageous annual holiday show. W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre, Dec. 7.

Planning Your Louisville Getaway

Whether you come to Louisville to attend a performance, explore local LGBTQ+ culture, discover the best of bourbon, or to do a little of everything, you can look forward to a warm welcome and a vibrant queer community.

Start planning your visit today. For more tips on activities, dining, and LGBTQ+ friendly places to stay, visit www.gotolouisville.com/lgbtq