Harvard Business School · Section I

Section I’s Honky Tonk

Nashville, Tennessee
Saturday, September 19 – Monday, September 21

Boots on the ground in

--Days
--Hours
--Minutes
--Seconds

Saturday, September 19 · 8:00 AM Nashville time (CDT)

73Section I’ers & partners coming
Pay for your events See the itinerary

What to expect

a little chaos, a lot of fun

Section I is taking over Nashville. It’s our EC year, and every moment with each other is precious. There will be shared meals, a honky tonk party bus, active outdoor adventures, an unreasonable amount of Broadway dancing, and—if we’re lucky—at least one person in a cowboy hat they purchased morning of.

You’ll notice a lot of the itinerary says optional. That’s on purpose. This can be a choose-your-own-adventure weekend. The only real asks: be on time when it counts, and come ready with a good attitude for quality time.

Don’t forget your section merch. We love Section I. 🤠

The Itinerary

here’s the plan, roughly

Times are subject to change. Please monitor the WhatsApp for the latest real-time information. Dinner reservations and the honky tonk party bus are the events where punctuality matters most, so please don’t be late!

01

Saturday

September 19
Times vary

Arrivals

Trickle in whenever your flight lands. Drop your bags, find the group chat, and go from there.

~9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Maryam’s Cafe Crawl Optional

Maryam made us a whole graphic, so you know it’s serious. Ends at the farmers market.

Caff Crawl flyer: Saturday, September 19 — 8:30 AM Crema Coffee, 10:00 AM Elegy Coffee Downtown, 11:30 AM Retrograde Coffee. Stay caffeinated this weekend, Section I.
Graphic by Maryam · stay caffeinated this wknd
~11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Shopping with Sydney Optional

12 South — one of Nashville’s most popular and walkable neighborhoods, filled with local boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops.

  • ~15 min Uber from the Farmers Market, ~10 min Uber from the hotel
  • Draper James — Reese Witherspoon’s Southern-inspired lifestyle brand
  • White’s Mercantile — a modern-day general store filled with unique gifts and home goods
  • Imogene + Willie — known for its Nashville-made denim
  • Made in TN — gifts and goods from local Tennessee makers
  • Five Daughters Bakery — honorable mention, known for 100-layer donuts
~12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Hot Chicken + Distillery Tour with Richa Optional

Two of Nashville’s greatest food groups, handled in one afternoon.

To add Names of the hot chicken spot + distillery.
3:00 PM

Hotel Check-In

Hyatt Place Nashville / Green Hills. Grab your key and find your roommates.

Late afternoon

Rest + Free Time

Time to wander, reset, explore, or power nap.

5:00 PM – 7:15 PM

Honky Tonk Party Bus Paid Confirmed list only

The main event of the afternoon. rowdybus.com

  • The tour begins at 5:30 PM sharp and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes.
  • Meeting spot: 1343 Lewis Street.
  • This is about a 20-minute drive from the hotel.
  • This is optional and only for those who confirmed.

There is a separate WhatsApp chat you must be part of, otherwise you are not included. If you think there has been a mistake, please message Georgia.

8:00 PM

Dinner at Monell’s Paid Confirmed list only

Family-style Southern cooking, passed around big tables. monellstn.com

  • Full restaurant buyout — we’ll have the place to ourselves.
  • This restaurant is both Lily and Dhruv approved as “one of the best meals of my life.”
  • This is a paid event.
  • See menu

There is a separate WhatsApp chat you must be part of which confirms you’re part of the reservation; otherwise, you are not included. If you think there has been a mistake, please message Georgia.

After dinner

Night Out on Broadway Optional

Meeting up with Sections F and B, who are also in Nashville. A true HBS takeover.

  • We’ll start at Jason Aldean’s and then bop around as we see fit.
  • About a 10-minute drive from the restaurant.
  • jasonaldeansbar.com
02

Sunday

September 20
Morning

Slow, leisurely morning

Choose your own adventure. Sleep in, hit the hotel breakfast, or go for a walk.

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Gathering at Patrick’s Family’s House Paid

Lunch served at 1:00 PM. Patrick’s family is kindly hosting us—please show up on time and be lovely.

  • 23 Northumberland, Nashville, TN 37215
  • >10 min drive from the hotel
Afternoon

Rest, or Choose Your Own Activity Optional

If you’ve got another gear in you, here are three genuinely lovely options.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

A 1930s limestone estate with 55 acres of formal gardens, sculpture trails, and an art museum. The prettiest, most photogenic afternoon on this list.

~10–15 min drive cheekwood.org

Radnor Lake State Park

Tennessee’s first State Natural Area—a quiet 85-acre lake ringed by easy wooded trails. Deer, herons, turtles, and zero cell service ambitions.

~15 min drive tnstateparks.com

Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

The definitive Nashville institution: rhinestone suits, Cadillacs, handwritten lyrics, and the actual history behind every bar you’ll stumble into on Broadway.

~12–15 min drive countrymusichalloffame.org
6:30 PM

Dinner at Puckett’s Paid Confirmed list only

Southern comfort food in a private room that’s all ours, with signature cocktails and Section I decor. puckettsrestaurant.com

  • Private room.
  • This is a paid event.
  • See menu

There is a separate WhatsApp chat you must be part of which confirms you’re part of the reservation; otherwise, you are not included. If you think there has been a mistake, please message Georgia.

Evening

Night Options Optional

  • Broadway again—optional, for those who want.
  • Or see the Eat + Drink tab for bars off Broadway that may be more chill.
  • Another option: Pins Mechanical Co. for arcade games, bocce courts, and pinball. pinsbar.com
03

Monday

September 21
All day

No official programming

Rest day and travel day.

If you’re sticking around

Activities led by section-mates Optional

A few people are organizing things for whoever’s still in town. Find them in the WhatsApp.

  • Patrick — Radnor Lake State Park
  • Shinjini — Arrington Vineyards
  • Greg & Monica — Cheekwood Botanical Gardens
The important section

Eat & Drink

we did not come here to be hungry

Every single morning

Complimentary breakfast and coffee daily, served at the hotel.

Section I Fall Retreat signature cocktail menu: Cold Call — gin, tonic, lime, crisp, composed, and best served cold. I-65 — bourbon, ginger ale, lemon, smooth, Southern, and Nashville-bound.
Section I · Fall Retreat

Signature Cocktails

of the weekend
Cold Call
Gin · Tonic · Lime Crisp, composed, and best served cold.
I-65
Bourbon · Ginger Ale · Lemon Smooth, Southern, and Nashville-bound.

Not drinking? Still covered

Both can be made as mocktails.

Before you show up to dinner

If you’re coming to our group dinners, make sure you are in the separate WhatsApp chats for each dinner. Otherwise, I have not received your payment, and you are not included on the reservation.

Monell’s

family style, passed around Saturday · 8:00 PM · Full buyout
  • Skillet Fried Chicken
  • Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
  • Chef’s Choice Surprise Entree
  • Hot Vegetables
  • Soft Drinks
  • Dessert
BYOB — wine and beer! We’ll coordinate bringing it for the group.
No nuts or shellfish!

Puckett’s

southern comfort, private room Sunday · 6:30 PM · Private room
  • Smoked Pulled BBQ Chicken
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Coleslaw
  • Cajun Corn Cakes
  • Portobello
  • Mac n’ Cheese
  • Hot Chicken Sliders
  • Pulled Pork Sliders
  • Cauliflower Wings
  • Homemade fruit cobblers for dessert
Private bar (charged upon consumption) with signature cocktails (!!)
No nuts or shellfish!
Patrick approved

Other Recommendations

Redheaded Stranger

$

Michelin Bib Gourmand Tex-Mex in East Nashville. Homemade tortillas, $4 tacos, and a green chili cheeseburger that people drive across town for.

Bib Gourmand Walk-in only

City House

$$

Nashville’s best pizza. Don’t sleep on it.

Pizza

Kisser

$$

Michelin Bib Gourmand, James Beard finalist, and a New York Times top 50 in the US. Japanese comfort food in East Nashville—standouts are the bacon udon and chicken katsu.

Bib Gourmand Walk-in, QR waitlist

Rolf and Daughters

$$

Bon Appétit and Esquire Best New Restaurant, Michelin recommended. Seasonal handmade pasta in a converted Germantown factory.

Michelin recommended

Robert’s Western World

$

The authentic local pick on Broadway. Famous $6 recession special (burger, fries, beer) and old-school honky-tonk with no pretense.

On Broadway
When you need a break from the neon

Off Broadway

Quieter, cooler, and you can actually hear each other talk.

Patterson House

Nashville’s best craft cocktail bar. James Beard-recognized, intimate, with the bartenders as the show. A local standout since 2009.

James Beard-recognized

Attaboy

James Beard-recognized cocktail bar with no menu—the bartenders make what suits you.

No menu

Greenhouse Bar

Vines hanging from the ceiling, plants trailing down the walls, and music at conversation level.

Green HillsNear the hotel

L.A. Jackson

The iconic rooftop, with 360-degree skyline views.

The Gulch

Printers Alley

A historic alley just off Broadway, full of speakeasies and karaoke—including the long-running Skull’s Rainbow Room.

Historic
The boring-but-necessary bits

Logistics

everything you need to know

Accommodations

We’ve got a mix of Airbnb and hotel stays across the section. If you’re in the group hotel block, here’s what you need:

Group Hotel

Hyatt Place Nashville / Green Hills

View the hotel

  • Rooms comfortably fit up to 4 people—5 if you use the sofa bed.
  • Hot breakfast buffet, Wi-Fi, and fitness center included.
At a glance

The details

  • Check-in3:00 PM
  • Check-out12:00 PM
  • Rate$149 / night before taxes
  • Sleeps4 – 5 per room

Flights & Arrivals

You can see everyone’s flight arrival times here:

Flight arrivals sheet

Carpooling

Feel free to coordinate carpooling to and from the airport amongst yourselves.

Time zone

Nashville is 1 hour behind Boston.

Packing List

Weather

Short version: hot and humid. Bring the rain layer just in case.

SaturdaySept 19
92°/70°

Hot with clouds breaking for some sun; occasional rain and a thunderstorm in the morning followed by a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon.

Chance of precip59%
RealFeel®101°
RealFeel Shade™94°
Max UV index5.0 Moderate
WindSSE 4 mph
Hours of rain2
SundaySept 20
87°/66°

Variable cloudiness with a couple of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Chance of precip66%
RealFeel®94°
RealFeel Shade™92°
Max UV index6.0 High
WindS 7 mph
Hours of rain2
MondaySept 21
85°/65°

Humid with plenty of clouds; occasional rain and a thunderstorm in the afternoon.

Chance of precip59%
RealFeel®90°
RealFeel Shade™88°
Max UV index6.0 High
WindS 6 mph
Hours of rain1.5

This is a point-in-time snapshot

These numbers were captured before the trip and will change. Please check AccuWeather for the latest before you pack.

Content Creators

Smile, someone is filming

We have our official content creators of the trip, who will be capturing photo and video all weekend and then coordinating a shared group album afterwards.

Say hi, get in the frame, and send them your good ones:

Yvonne · Cynthia · Lily · Angela

Settle up

Payment

venmo me, I beg

Pay for whatever you’re attending, and make sure you’re in the right WhatsApp chat. That chat is the reservation list.

Georgia

Monell’s & Puckett’s
Zelle 310-948-3426
Venmo @geo-messinger

Patrick

Sunday at his family’s house
Zelle 310-849-2430
Venmo @patrick-kurzner

What you owe

To Patrick Martin’s BBQ at his house+ $5 if drinking alcohol $25+$5 alcohol
To Georgia Saturday dinner at Monell’s+ $10 if drinking alcohol $40+$10 alcohol
To Georgia Sunday dinner at Puckett’s $45
To Georgia Honky Tonk party bus$35 for the bus + $10 if you’re drinking $45total
You asked, repeatedly

FAQ

everything you keep texting me about

Hyatt Place Nashville / Green Hills
3818 Bedford Ave, Nashville, TN 37215

Hotel website

Note that we have a mix of Airbnb and hotel stays—check your own booking if you’re not in the block.

  • Check-in3:00 PM
  • Check-out12:00 PM

If you land early, the front desk will usually hold your bags so you’re not dragging a roller bag down Broadway.

Uber and Lyft both run from Nashville International (BNA) and are the easiest option—head to the rideshare pickup area once you’ve got your bags.

Even better: split one. Check the flight arrivals sheet to see who lands around the same time as you, then sort out a carpool in the WhatsApp. Same goes for the ride back on Monday.

The hotel keeps a running list here: Events & attractions

And five things you can walk to:

  • The Mall at Green HillsUpscale mall with 120+ stores and restaurants, including Nordstrom. Basically next door. ~2 min
  • Hill Center Green HillsOpen-air shopping center across the way—Whole Foods, Pottery Barn, coffee, and restaurants. ~5 min
  • Greenhouse Bar2211 Bandywood Dr — the plant-filled greenhouse bar from the Off Broadway list, right here in Green Hills. ~5 min
  • Emmy Squared PizzaDetroit-style pizza in Green Hills. Reliable, close, and open late-ish. ~5 min
  • The Bluebird Cafe4104 Hillsboro Pike — the legendary 90-seat listening room. Tickets go fast and it’s tiny, so check before you walk over. ~10 min

The cafe crawl, shopping, and hot chicken / distillery crawl are flexible—you can join or drop out last minute if you need to, though I’m not sure why you’d drop out. :)

The dinners and honky tonk party bus are non-refundable. You must pay in order to attend.

The night out and other activities are totally choose-your-own-adventure—play it by ear based on how you feel.

One exception: Patrick’s family is kindly hosting us, so please do your best to arrive on time for lunch and don’t flake—food is ordered in advance.

Review the itinerary and just catch up with us whenever you can. We’ll be findable.

Yes, partners are included—and we’ll be treated to spending quality time with baby Rafa.

Georgia, Patrick, Richa, Maryam, Helen, Sydney, Charlie, Virginia, Meghan, Caleigh, and Veronica.

It takes a village. You can thank us by coming ready to party, having a good attitude, and buying us shots on Broadway.

Send this into Claude and ask it to help you, because everything should be clear.

JK (kinda) — feel free to message Georgia.