The Mill Wine Bar & Event Venue is celebrating its one-year anniversary with special events throughout the week.
The anniversary celebration begins Wednesday with the Texas vs. The World Wine Tasting event and continues with Steak Night Thursday, a crawfish boil Friday and a dance Saturday.
The Mill opened May 2, 2014, and provided Abilene with a unique indoor/outdoor venue to eat, drink, listen to live music and enjoy time with friends or family.
Lizzie Folwell, senior management major from Abilene, said she likes The Mill because of the ambiance it provides.
“Even though it’s a pretty big facility, it has intimate spaces for friends to spend time together and just relax,” Folwell said. “My favorite part about it is that it feels like a mini-vacation away from everything while you’re there.”
Many ACU students have taken advantage of the venue and have hosted their own events there such as the GATA formal, Kojie grub, Siggie formal and the Red Thread Fashion Show.
Isabel Lee, last year’s GATA social director, said she is passionate about Abilene revitalizing old buildings and was excited to be The Mill’s first rental.
“The Mill was more than helpful in working with me and ACU, even though ACU was reluctant about having events there,” said Lee, a senior art major from Abilene. “GATA had the best time at The Mill and we were proud to be part of their opening week.”
Gary and Bridget McDowell, owners of The Mill, took nuances from Napa Valley, California, Grapevine and Fredericksburg that they enjoyed and appreciated, and incorporated them into The Mill to create a unique experience.
The Mill is open Wednesdays through Saturdays and has live music and food trucks every night.
“We’ve worked really hard at creating an outdoor atmosphere,” Gerry said. “Our indoor is really cool, but people rarely sit in it. Even in the sweltering heat or when it’s freezing cold, people choose to sit outside.”
In the future, Gerry wants to be always accommodating and tweaking the outdoor areas. He also wants to provide new and different events and experiences for the people of Abilene.
“We want to expand into events for guys, too, like a cigar demonstration,” Gerry said. “We want to educate the public on stuff that they may not know they’re interested in.”
Lee and Folwell said they are thankful for the experiences and culture The Mill has brought to Abilene.
“I love that it’s all about connecting people to all Abilene has to offer through things like the craft fair and the food trucks,” Folwell said. “I love that The Mill is for Abilene.”
