The sun is setting on an era in Fort Worth as the Coyote Drive-In enters its final weekend.
The business opened knowing its lease with the Tarrant Regional Water District would one day end to make way for the next phase of the Panther Island project. That time has now come, leaving longtime employees and customers to say goodbye to a place that became more than just a spot to catch a movie.
“You can’t fill this. You can’t fill this void that’s going to be left,” musician Devin Leigh said.
General Manager Chris Fortune has been with the Coyote Drive-In since it opened. In recent weeks, he has been busy saying goodbye to the customers who have made memories there over the years.
“It’s bittersweet. It’s been a long ride,” Fortune said.
“Just a lot of thanks and support – a lot of sad faces, people that are going to miss us, but it’s been great to know that we’ve reached so many people,” Fortune said.
For longtime customer Marlena Hall, those memories stretch back years. She has been bringing her teenage sons to the drive-in since they were toddlers.
“It’s just been a big part of our lives- it’s very bittersweet,” Hall said.
Hall recalled one particularly memorable night when her family was watching the Marvel movie “Thor” as lightning flashed across the sky.
“Thor – Marvel movie – and the lightning is coming down, and they thought Thor was here – you guys were little – very little,” Hall said.
“It’s just been a really wonderful experience – I hope it’s a core experience for the boys,” Hall said.
For other customers, the Coyote’s final weekend offered a chance to experience a drive-in theater for the first time. Two sisters visiting the venue said they had only seen drive-ins depicted in movies.
“This is really new to us so we just wanted to see what a drive-in movie theater is like,” one of the sisters said.
Over the years, the Coyote Drive-In became more than a movie theater. The Fort Worth venue also hosted events, weddings and live music, creating the kind of community atmosphere Leigh said can be difficult to replicate.
“Fort Worth has always been community – you know – and you come out here and you see every walk of life. And I don’t know where else you get that,” Leigh said.
Employees and customers hope that feeling can one day be recreated somewhere else.
“This is a dying art, and I hope we can keep it alive,” Fortune said.
For now, the focus is on one final weekend and one last round of memories under the Fort Worth sky.
“We’re looking forward to serving you one last time and making some lasting memories,” Fortune said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.