Driving alongside a row of honky tonk bars is the electric purple Big Drag Bus, a 90-minute performance on wheels that weaves through bachelorette booze cruises and tourists chugging beer on party bikes. There are usually two drag queens performing on it, sometimes Reba McIntyre or Dolly Parton impersonators, lip-syncing, telling jokes, or hosting games.
Much like other Nashville staples, the goal of the Big Drag Bus is to bring the party and spread joy—and they’re often successful. Co-owner and operator Josh Cloud started the venture after he was furloughed during COVID, and while he was originally concerned about the reaction it would receive, he says the Drag Bus just made people happy. Nearby pedestrians often dance along, wave, or tip the queens through the windows.
