One of my favorite events in Nashville! I've been nearly every year that I lived in Nashville and can't get enough of the fun time. 1. You get to dress up! I do not wear hats and Steeplechase gave me the opportunity to be brave and find the hat that was just right for me. It was fun to explore in this area for myself and then once you're at the event, you can spend the ENTIRE time looking at the unique hats and fascinators. Both men and women look fabulous and fancy. All types of styles come out and it's so much fun!!! 2. Horse racing is exciting! Whether you're a pro gambler or if you're a first timer, this is great place to try your luck. I like that there are races throughout the day. 3. You're with friends! It's so fun to plan your Saturday with your friends. From the food to drinks and games, it's a fun filled day with lots of friends. If you're in town for Steeplechase, you don't want to miss it. read more

Just arrived to Gate 2 where our tickets said we could pick up a wrist band for tailgating at SteepleChase. When we got there, we were told we had to walk over 2 miles to Gate 7 for our wrist bands. We were force to order an Uber for $35 to take us to Gate 7. When we did get our wrist bands, we were rudely told by the managing event staff at Will Call that there is supposed to be a Will Call stand at Gate 2. We asked for a refund, and the nasty event staff lady tried guilting us by saying we were stealing money away from a children's hospital asking for a refund. And she STILL couldn't give us a refund This whole event is so mismanaged (which I heard was a huge issue last year) that no one has any idea what the hell is going on. But, god forbid you want to set things right, staff will paint you as heartless children's hospital donations thieves. We will be calling after SteepleChase for a refund, and possibly be taking legal action. I will NEVER recommend this event to anyone, and people would be much better off watching a horse race on TV at a crummy bar. Because at least the bar will have their stuff together better. read more

What a fantastic people-watching spectacle! Steeplechase is a lot like I imagine the Kentucky Derby infield to be, at least in the tailgating area where I was this year. My friend Jon has two primo tailgating spots where you can actually see the horses race. This was the first year I went, and it was so much fun. Tailgating tickets were a little expensive, but if you have a group of people or a friend who has a tailgating spot, I highly recommend it. You can sit and drink all day long which is good. Hopefully you or your friends will bring some good food to soak up the alcohol. We had some Whitt's BBQ and some delicious cupcakes with mounds of frosting which was perfect for the day. The Steeplechase attracts all kinds of Nashvillians. There is seersucker and big hats for as far as the eye can see. I think the really rich people have boxes to watch the race in. Our tailgating area was a little tame, but down from us were quite a few places with college-age and younger people. It was very frat-tastic with tons of beer cans and games of beer pong going on. That and the backwards baseball caps were a dead give-away. I do miss my beer pong days, though. There were also lots of games of corn hole going on as well. There's no official betting on horses, but our group bet amongst ourselves. By the end of the day there was some drunken foolishness going on, but that just meant it was time to leave. We also had fantastic weather which helped. The traffic going in and out of the place is horrendous, but it was worth it. I hope to go again next year. Hopefully I'll be invited again! read more

The running of the Iroquois Steeplechase is one of my favorite springtime activities in Nashville. It's always the weekend after the Kentucky Derby--also Mother's Day weekend--every year. This year, it's this Saturday, May 10th. You can join in the festivities on all levels--general admission tickets are pretty inexpensive, and are best for families. You sit on bleachers outside the track, and can bring in food and drinks. A little more high class? Look into the box seats (pretty much just roped off sections of bleachers, but nicer)--although they are passed down from family to family, so I'm not sure of availability. Same thing though--bring in food and drink while you watch the horse races. Want to really party? Then inside the track is for you! Infield is the biggest and most popular area, but there are 4 or 5 others as well. Buy a parking space in the middle of the field, drive in your car, tents, tables, etc, and join in the drunk fest. Rarely have I even seen a horse from the infield, but it is possible. It's mainly a day to dress in your spring clothes and ring in the season with friends, family, and whatever drink you might be enjoying! Check out the website for more information--if you miss it this year, put it on your calendar for next! read more

Now this is a tailgating event I can get behind. I'm not much into football, but here's something with a little more class. Expect it to be hot, because it's in May and get a ridiculous hat, preferably one that will give you a lot of shade, because there's not much other shade available. If you're going for general admission, be aware of a few things and your day will go much more smoothly. The signage is terrible and unless you approach the steeplechase from Belle Meade, you can easily park at the wrong place and then not be able to find a shuttle to general admission (this did happen to us). It seemed strange that the parking was so disorganized because they've been doing this event for many years, and you would expect it to be more together. Once you navigate this mess and you get in though, it's a lot of fun. Take a picnic, some strong drinks (bloody marys are perfect) and lots of ice and sunscreen, and you'll have a good time. read more

Terrible Event. This was our first time to go and we both love horses, so we decided to spend the money to do it right. First off, no one directing traffic could tell us where we were supposed to go so they sent us to the parking lot furthest from the event. Bad enough considering we paid extra for tailgaiting parking-it would have taken us an hour to circle around since they changed the road to one way. We figured it wouldn't be too big a deal since the website also promised shuttles. Guess what? Not only were there no shuttles in sight, but no one we asked seemed to know what we were talking about. So we had to hike a mile in, guessing if we were going the right way as there were no signs or people directing foot traffic. Once inside, again no one could point us to the Fox Den tent where we had purchased all inclusive tickets. Some other attendees finally pointed us in the right direction and gave us their extra program since again, no worker had offered us one of those. The tent, which promised all you can eat food and drinks, was okay for the first couple of hours. Around the time of the second race, however, it turned into a madhouse. We realized after waiting in line for more drinks for 45 minutes that there were a ton of people who had walked right in without wristbands! So not only were they getting for free what we paid a lot of money for, they were making everything take a lot longer to get. The people who were running the tent finally kicked a few of the freeloaders out, but they allowed one girl to buy a wrist band on site. She came back in, cut to the front of the drink line, got four drinks, and took them out to her friends. The staff basically shrugged their shoulders and let it happen. There were only two bartenders, and they were the slowest bartenders I have ever seen. As I said, it took almost 45 minutes to get to the front of the line and by the time we did, the bartender had run out of almost all liquor, beer, mixers and even water. She was also serving her friends out of the side of the stand without them having to wait in the long line the rest of us stood in. The kicker? They didn't even turn down the music when the races started, so we had no clue they were even happening! One of the WORST, most mismanaged events I have ever gone to. A complete rip off and not worth the money. If I ever wanted to put myself through that nonsense again, I'd buy the cheapest ticket possible and just walk into any area I like since no one seems to care. read more

I came to Nashville this past weeked to visit some college friends and check out Steeplechase. Lordy, what an interesting experience. This ain't your typical tailgate--ladies in sundresses with big hats and flip flops and guys in madras, seersucker and bowties, drinking beer, playing cornhole, and betting on horses. The people watching here is awesome, from a drunken spectacle, to the who's who of Nashville, to a fashion show, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. I particularly enjoyed watching the gaggle of 21 year old girls in the space next to us mixing this huge vat of some mystery beverage that started out an electric green color. They kept adding stuff and mixing it all day which eventually turned red and then brown, however, they never actually seemed to be drinking anything. The horse track loops all the way around the tail gate area, so you can easily saunter over to the fence and have a front row view of the horses going over the jumps and rounding the corners from about a car's length away. I am also proud to report--Ladies and Gents, we have a winner! I bet on the horse no one else wanted in the second race and won. Overall, it was really fun to experience this southern tradition, however, at the ripe age of 28 I think I have outgrown the day drinking from 9am until 6pm and mingling with high school and college wastoids. I think I would have given this melee 5 enthusiastic stars from the ages of 21-25. The box seats might be a better option for those who are a little more, um, mature. read more

I'm 40 years old and I've never been threatened with arrest so many times. It's basically a drunken frat party in the center. Saw a guy pee near a car then stumble away only to later see him in handcuffs. Helped a drunken lost couple who tried to have me give them a counseling session. Basically, don't be sober here. Couldn't find a way to leave. There was no signage on the inside telling us how to get to the gate to cross the track. Maybe it's more fun in the stands for old folks? read more

Well just like many of these reviews mixed reviews one year I had a great time the other years not so much!! What I've seen wow... ! I'd like to go to the derby one year and compare I'm sure there's no comparison , good try nashville read more

If yelp had half or quarter of a star, it still would be to much to rate. I have never in my many years of attending lavish elegant events, than experienced such an unorganized lack of hospitality at Nashville Steeplechase 2022. I just attended the Kentucky Derby, great seats great experience and thinking maybe this would be the same experience. Nashville has this pretentious attitude toward ppl they have no idea about. Because someone purchased tickets in general section doesn't mean that they are not important. In my case, i purchased late, a week late, to attend to finish off my husband birthday weekend. I was approached by a worker near the box seats because of me being a well dressed BLACK WOMAN, (she looked through how I came there) and assumed I was gonna seat in those box seats when in fact, I was waiting for my husband to finish his conversation with the law officer there. (She probably was a liberal.) But in any case, we were getting information about where EXACTLY we was supposed to go because no worker there knew anything or asked to help us. I felt disrespected in that regard and wasted my whole morning walking around grass and dirt. I had no idea we was supposed to bring our own chairs to a horse race. Just something I'm not use to. They could have explained it more when they quickly take your money. That was my first and last time attending such a mess of an event. Very disappointing. The law officers were better at their job than some of those workers. Such a shame. I wasted money for nothing. read more

I don't think it is any secret to those that know me that I absolutely LOVE an event that allows, nay, requires you to drink during the daytime hours. I may not be college aged anymore but there's nothing wrong with going retro when there's a daytime party! Thus when I found out that I was going to be in town for the Steeplechase and my brother had a spot for me I was SUPER PUMPED! This is my understanding of how it works if you want to tailgate and do it up right. You buy some spots in the infield and each spot can come with 8 wristbands. The people with the trucks and tailgating provisions drive in the spot and set up camp. The others park outside the tailgate area and walk to the infield, find the spot, and commence the festivities. Some tips to make your festivities errr more festive: - it is nice if the person with the truck comes with everything - tent, tables, beer, liquor, grill, food, cornhole boards, fold out chairs, etc. You don't want to lug that stuff from the parking lot. It also helps if this person buys for everyone and you just pay them an "all-inclusive" amount of money to cover your portion. Then you just help set up and start drinking. Don't forget the koozys!! - Ladies - get your Sunday best out! Wear a cute sundress and a wide brim hat. You can go as obnoxious on your hat as you want - I saw some hats that were so big they made me wonder how they held their heads up. As for the dress - I brought two and the one I decided NOT to wear that was from a small boutique in Dallas I actually saw someone else wearing. The one I did wear was from Macys and I didn't see anyone in that. Go figure. -Ladies - I know you want to wear your cute heels but if you are walking from the outside parking I would recommend flip flops all the way. The ground is bumpy and it was almost impossible to walk in my wedges. I changed in to flip flops and was comfortable for the rest of the day. - Men - you can go from khakis and button down all the way to seersucker and vests. I even saw some dudes in fishnets and short shorts. And don't wear your heels! haha - Do NOT forget your sunscreen. Even though we had the most beautiful 70 degree day ever people ended up roasted. And if you put sunscreen on, be sure to get all exposed areas or you will end up with a random splotchy sunburn like I have. DOH! - Do NOT wait until the last moment to go to the bathroom. The port-a-potties were in a huge row at the front of the tailgate sites. This was a complete clusterfuck - the line was unbearable. I say split those into sections of 3 or 4 and place them throughout and you would help matters immensely (tip courtesy of NASCAR outings). At any rate, bring your own TP and put in your purse ladies - that way you will always have some even when they run out! And for the men there's always the option of using the bathroom in front of your truck or something...just saying. - People watch all you want - that's what everyone is there for I think. Check out the dresses, hot chicks, hot dudes, and ridiculously dressed people. Fawn or make fun as you see fit. - Cell service was very spotty - I could barely get a text out. Remember this if you are trying to meet up with people. - Race? Was there a race? Apparently there is. We actually were near the track so we saw some actual race horses go by. Amazing! If you get the chance, definitely watch some of that. If you drink too much and forget...well, you won't be the first person. I very much enjoyed the day of drinking and hanging out. I likened it to a mix of NASCAR camping and Sunday Funday brunch. It had the dressy clothes and classier feel of boozing it up after church and the complete tailgate setup and drunkfest of camping at NASCAR. You can't get any better than that!! read more

No offense...and maybe not many of those that go to steeplechase have been to the derby. But IMO steeplechase sucked. You just dress up and drink. I could do that at my house with my friend and grill out and have more fun. Go to the derby and experience real horse racing. read more

It was wonderful and best intertainment. I wish they accept vendor to sell this painting during this wonderful day.

I've gone twice now and had two very different experiences. The first year I was in the infield, which is an unqualified $h*t$how. The second year was in one of the special fancy little tents alongside the track, and it was awesome. Worth every penny for the upgrade. You can actually see the races and can relax in shade and civilization as well. Maybe stroll the infield once to remind yourself how glad you are you aren't out there with the wasted proletariat. Let them eat cake. And fireball. read more