It’s a Fort Worth mainstay that has hosted a bull riding TV show and given solace to pandemic-weary North Texans as Panther Island’s development plans loomed in the background — and soon, it will screen its last flick.
After 14 years, Fort Worth’s Coyote Drive-In movie theater will close on Labor Day, Sept. 7, according to an Aug. 17 press release.
The closure comes as the Trinity River Water District eyes beginning construction on Panther’s long-awaited canals and park this year.
“When we opened Coyote Drive-In, we hoped to create more than just a place to watch movies; we wanted to create a place where families and friends could come together and make lasting memories,” said Glenn Solomon, a managing partner of the theater, in a press release. “We have been incredibly fortunate to be part of the Fort Worth community and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we are deeply grateful to the hundreds of thousands of guests who chose to spend their evenings with us over the years.”
Julian Dominguez, 6, left, Bryleigh Brown, 3, center, and Brooklyn Brown, 5, sit in the back of a pickup in their pajamas to watch a movie with their family at Coyote Drive-In movie theater on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, in Fort Worth.
The theater has hosted a Jimmy Buffett concert, a high school graduation, an outdoor ice skating rink, and Fourth of July festivities, along with its nightly fare.
Jimmy Buffett performs at the Coyote Drive-In Thursday June 19, 2014 in Fort Worth, Texas. The event is being broadcast nationally to over 80 other drive-ins across the country. (Star-Telegram/Ron Jenkins)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater initially closed, but reopened a few months later.
The theater did not announce farewell plans on Aug. 17, but encouraged Fort Worthians to “enjoy one last movie under the stars.”