Living La Vida Local in Atlanta: Pride and Beyond

This is the second in a series of features sponsored by Hilton Hotels & Resorts. To ignite your own memorable moments, discover top gay destinations and experience the most exciting LGBT-centric events of the season, visit GoOutHilton.com.

Planning on heading to Atlanta to check out the Southeast's largest Pride Parade on October 10? You'll have company. More than 300,000 visitors and locals are expected to pack Piedmont Park for the two-day festival's 45th anniversary, which will feature a marketplace with 200-some vendors, live entertainment and the event's glittering, glamorous climax, the Pride Parade. Kicking off the 11th at 1 p.m. at the Civic Center MARTA station, the parade will follow Peachtree Street, winding up at the park. Other Atlanta Pride highlights include:

October 9
7 p.m. The Georgia Aquarium, one of the city's most beloved institutions, will host Pride's opening party with entertainment like the Spectacular Dolphin Show and DJ Brandon Moses.

October 10
1:45 p.m. Trans March
6 p.m. Dyke March
Both begin at Piedmont Park's Charles Allen Gate.
6:45 p.m. While the Coca-Cola Stage is where national acts raise the roof, at the Bud Light Stage natives rule the roost, according to Atlanta Pride Committee Executive Director, Jamie Fergerson. "It's a great place to see everyone from up-and-comers to old favorites," he says. "Atlanta Pride has always made room for talented local artists during our festival." Atlanta's favorite DJ Canvas will be spinning as the Bud Light Stage's headliner.
Experiencing Hotlanta's homegrown goodness doesn't have to stop at Pride. Knowledgeable local have used their insider info and passion for the city to create tours spotlighting the best of Atlanta culture and history.

Get It While It's Hot
Southern fare is like no other food on Earth - earthy and rich, often fried, it's good for the soul, if not the waistline. Don't even think about counting calories on Atlanta Food Walks' Downtown Southern Food Walk, which begins in historic Castleberry Hill, a former industrial neighborhood where warehouses have been converted into lux lofts, shops and restaurants. Seven stops, including Paschal's, offer a total of 15 tastings then exemplify Atlanta's food scene - past, present and future.

While John Hannula, proprietor of Peachtree Food Tours won't divulge the restaurants on his tour, he assures participants that, "I'm the food, booze and fun guy in Midtown Atlanta. It's my neighborhood and I want to show you why I wouldn't live anywhere else!" Tastings such as a world food competition-winning burger and a kale salad paired with southern bourbon are served alongside tales of celebrity visitors from Clark Gable to Doris Day.

Lights, Camera, Action!
Enough movies and television shows are getting made in Atlanta these days to justify calling it Hollywood South and Atlanta Movie Tours whisks you to the spots where many of them were shot. "Hunger Games" groupies will want to book the Victory tour, with a stop at Swan House in the ritzy Buckhead neighborhood, which doubled as President Snow's mansion. You can also get a peek at locations for flicks like "The Blind Side" and "Driving Miss Daisy" during the Atlanta Film Sites Tour. There are zombie- and "Gone With the Wind"-themed tours available, too.

Learn From the Past
The birthplace and home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Atlanta in the 60s became the epicenter for the Civil Rights movement. The takes you back in time and to the places that mattered most in the fight for equality. Guests visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, which encompasses the King Center, Ebenezer Baptist Church and King's birth home and burial site, all located in Sweet Auburn, once the wealthiest black neighborhood in the country. Other stops include the indispensable Center for Civil and Human Rights, which features exhibits on the fight for LGBT rights.

Lay Your Head

Squeezing every last second out of your Atlanta Pride trip can be exhausting, making inviting digs all the more crucial.

Hilton Atlanta boasts the brand's famed Serenity Beds with luxurious duvets and down pillows, and rooms so stylish you'll want to linger a bit longer under the covers. It is also located within walking distance of the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta, so Pride's kick-off party is an easy stroll. Nikolai's Roof restaurant offers a romantic retreat if you and your honey need a little extra quiet time away from the crowd, or go tiki with island-inspired cocktails at the Trader Vic's Mai Tai Bar.

Hilton Atlanta
255 Courtland Street NE
404-659-2000

Atlanta celebrates distinct neighborhood vibes. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta - Buckhead is a charming, boutique-style hotel that was the first neighborhood property to practice green and sustainable initiatives. Shopping is a must at Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square, both within walking distance and brimming with names like Giorgio Armani, Versace and Gucci. After you've pulled together the perfect Pride outfit, hop the train from the MARTA stop a block and a half away to all of the festivities.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta - Buckhead
3342 Peachtree Road, NE
404-231-1234