VALDOSTA — Luke Smith initiated the Mill House Reunion last year in response to the passing of friends from the one-time Remerton establishment.

The first reunion was held the Friday after Thanksgiving 2014. A second one was held in June. The third Mill House Reunion is scheduled this week, again on the Friday night after Thanksgiving.

The mission of the Mill House Reunion has more poignancy this year as Smith’s longtime band mate in both Drive In, the Mill House house band, and Lost Southern Boys passed away earlier this year.

Bass player Bob Miller is one of the Mill House crew to pass away this year.

Friday night, Drive In members Smith, keyboardist Tim Teasley and drummer Country Dave Hollis will take the Rascal’s stage in Lake Park with other musicians to play old Mill House favorites and other songs.

The Mill House was known for featuring live music every night from area bands such as Skannyardle, Lost Southern Boys, Room 19, TannersLane, Digit 60 and Drive In, as well as individual musicians.

The Mill House was an early place to buy a basket of buffalo wings in South Georgia. Other foods included a Reuben sandwich or the Smashed Dog: a hot dog and bun split in half smashed by spatula onto the hot griddle.

Rocking chairs and porch swings. The rock garden. Butcher’s paper and plastic cups of crayons on each table. Draft beer served in glass wine carafes. Don’t roll the stop signs.

The structure: Two former Remerton cotton mill employee houses combined into one building to create a pub.

Originally, the only restaurant bar in Remerton. The first place to legally sell drinks after midnight on Saturdays in Lowndes County. The first place to legally sell drinks on Sundays in Lowndes County.

And the people who visited the Mill House: Artists, contractors, carpenters, business owners, airmen, musicians, lawyers, college students, university faculty, wanderers, dancers, romancers, lone wolves, storytellers, truth seekers, bon vivants, vagabonds and gypsy souls …

Skydivers occasionally landed in the front yard; a giant arm-wrestling champion caused the entire wood building to shake as he walked across the porch; a top-hatted troubadour leading a combination of opera soprano and mezzo soprano backed by a mariachi band all playing John Prine.

The cover songs: Beast of Burden, Call Me the Breeze, Mustang Sally, My Girl, Brown-Eyed Girl.

Chris Coleman’s The Mill House.

Coleman led Drive In with one of the region’s best rock voices coupled with the comic timing and absurdist sense of humor of Bugs Bunny.

Coleman opened the Mill House in the 1980s. The Mill House closed September 1998.

The former Mill House building is where Flip Flops is located in Remerton.

Money raised at the door and donations will be taken to benefit Alzheimer’s Caregivers Time Out in honor of Coleman.

The Mill House Reunion is scheduled for Friday, Rascal’s Bar & Grill, 4875 U.S. 41 S., Lake Park. Music is scheduled to start about 8-8:30 p.m. Doors open earlier.