FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville is celebrating its 90th anniversary New Year's Eve weekend.
Drew Wilson has been coming to George’s ever since he moved to town in 1973.
"It's just always been one of my mainstays and my kids came here when they were young, continue to when they are in town,” Wilson said.
He said Mary Hinton, who was the owner at that time, wouldn't serve him alcohol because he was too young.
"But she would let me sit at the corner here and watch a little black and white TV and have cokes,” Wilson said.
Wilson said he's made a lot of friends at George’s over the years.
"It's really a great thing and the city of Fayetteville is very fortunate to have a place like this. This is one of the first places in Fayetteville that was accepting to everyone,” he said.
George Pappas opened the venue in 1927.
"I think the fact that it's been here for 90 years shows that it's had owners that care about it and have been passionate about it,” current owner Brain Crowne said.
He is the fourth owner of George’s after buying the venue in 2004.
“I actually spent a lot of years playing music full-time for a living and it was the first place I performed in Fayetteville," Crowne said. "I kind of fell in love with it and it became one of my favorite clubs I played in around the county. I never dreamed there would be an opportunity for me to own it but I definitely had a kinship with it as a performer."
Crowne said one of the best parts of owning George’s is hearing stories about it. One of his favorites involves an older man who stopped by George's as a college student during World War II.
"When he came back, George Pappas had cleared all the tabs for the servicemen,” Crowne said.
Crown said he feels like a curator preserving the venue so the next generation can enjoy it as much as he has.
"If I do my job, maybe someday someone else may have it and hopefully they can carry on the tradition like we have,” he said.
To celebrate the milestone, George's is offering several free concerts Friday (Dec. 30) night and for New Year`s Eve they have performances that will cost $20 to get in.