Locals are nostalgic for the days when they used to put the kids in pajamas, climb in the car and go watch a Hollywood film under the summer night sky. While the concept is an old one, Brady Wood, the driving force behind Coyote Drive-In, promises a modern twist on the classic drive-in with state-of-the-art projectors, an amped up playground, a one-acre beer garden, gourmet food and the ability to order concessions from your smartphone while in the comfort of your vehicle. Fort Worth in its drive-in heyday had nearly 20 theaters. At their peak in 1958, there were around 4,000 drive-ins nationwide, but over the years that number has dropped to 400. But things are changing, and Fort Worth is among the cities embracing this throwback trend. Located on the Trinity River near LaGrave Field, Coyote is equipped with three screens to play first-run movies. Plans are to also host film festivals, show TCU away games and possibly hold concerts. No car, no problem. A boxed seating area will be designated to accommodate guests who arrive without cars, and there will be a hitching post for those arriving via horse from the Trinity Trails. We caught up with Wood on location to get the backstory about the coolest new addition to Fort Worth.
by Jennifer Casseday-Blair and Sonya Cisneros Curry
What was the inspiration behind building a drive-in in Fort Worth? Everyone seems to be yearning for a simpler time.Life has gotten so complicated.Cell phones always ringing, kids on electronics all the time, texting, etc. The drive-in allows us to get away from all that. Just sit under the stars and watch a movie while the kids can run around and play.
Why not in Dallas? Fort Worth saw the vision and made it work. The elected officials, the city staff, the Trinity River Vision Authority, they opened the doors wide and welcomed "back" the drive-in.Fort Worth had 17 drive-ins open at its peak, so it's in Fort Worth's DNA.
How does it differ from the drive-ins of the past? Where do I start? First, it's got state-of-the-art technology with the largest and brightest digital projectors available in the world.The playground is over the top.We have a one-acre beer garden with 10,000 square feet of shade structures and 14 "Big Ass" fans to keep folks cool.We will serve craft beers, very good gourmet burgers and pizza along with artisan cheese and crackers to go with a good bottle of wine.You can order from your smartphone in your car, and we will happily bring your order to you.Beverage carts will roam the site seeking thirsty patrons.Despite all the cool features, we didn't forget that we are a drive-in and know that it's really all about relaxing under the stars and enjoying a night out with friends and family.
How will you select which movies to show? We are a first-run movie theater, so we will pick the best movies available. We will also show the classics and host film festivals.We can show TCU away games and have a huge tailgate party for thousands of fans!We also have the capability to hold concerts, car shows and special events and have already been inundated with requests to host company and school parties.
How has the city embraced Coyote? It's been amazing!Elected officials, city staff, Trinity River Vision Authority, Tarrant Regional Water District, all have been super supportive and have helped work through many unique challenges.
What is the inspiration behind the drive-in's logo/name? We were out looking at sites and had been struggling to come up with a name. Just then, a mother coyote and four pups came out of nowhere and ran by us.My brother looked at me and said, "There's your name!"A coyote loves the night, runs in packs with friends and howls at the moonlight. A perfect fit, I think!
Why this space near LaGrave Field? What makes it the ideal location? The Tarrant Regional Water District owns the land, and they asked the public for proposals for a great interim use.We jumped at the chance and submitted the drive-in idea.There is no better location for a drive-in in America that I know of.The views are spectacular.
What would you say your significant achievements were in redeveloping the Deep Ellum neighborhood in the "90s? We built fun places with great food at a good value that helped draw thousands of folks to an otherwise quiet part of downtown.We get to do it again in Fort Worth.
Is the drive-in turning out as you expected? Much better.The original idea consisted entirely of converted shipping containers.
We read that you hope to transmit Spanish and English simultaneously and that Coyote would be the first drive-in to accomplish this. Why was that an important element? The Spanish/English broadcast is not currently possible due to encryption issues.We are working on it.I like the idea because since you are tuning the sound in on an FM station, you could easily tune into another station and hear it in another language, and that's great.
Many drive-in theaters have struggled financially to remain open. Have you considered drive-in theaters in Granbury and Ennis? What lessons have you learned from other drive-in operators? As I learned recently at the drive-in theater convention in Kissimmee, Fla., drive-in owners all help one another and consider every owner and their staff a part of one large family.We all realize we need to help out the struggling locations and work together to solve issues, like the huge expense of converting from film to digital.Yes, the drive-ins have been declining, but thanks to Fort Worth, we hope to change that.
I grew up in Fort Worth at the drive-in. My mom and dad had a piece of plywood they would put in the back seat of the car so it made a bed for my brother and I. We'd bring our blankets and pillows, popcorn and drinks. The playground was fun and safe...and when the movie started, we kids ran back to our cars.
I remember Psycho was playing, and my parents said, "When we tell you to duck, you have to duck." We ducked. It was the shower scene. We could hear the high-pitch music but stayed down. Then we got tired and fell asleep. I remember my mother would NOT take a shower for months after that movie.
– Susan Fine
My mom wouldn't "allow" me to go to the drive-in because they were "passion pits," as she called them. For the most part, we went downtown on dates to the Worth, Hollywood and sometimes Palace. However, whenever there was a slumber party or just a few girls together, we'd go to the Parkaire on University Dr., and after a fun movie, we'd go finish off the evening at Carlson's –– driving through and looking for friends!
-Kay Ward Davis
We saw The Outsiders at the drive-in by 30 and Riverside. I was excited because my parents made a grocery bag full of popcorn, and my sister and I wore our pajamas.
- Beth Coffey
Great childhood memories of the Twin in Fort Worth and one in Arlington (can't remember name) which was my favorite because it had an awesome playground below the screen. I loved that they had theater seats outside as well if you got tired of sitting in your car. Going to concession stand was such a treat...usually we would pack up homemade popcorn, hot dogs, etc.
- Gretchen Genador Hord
There was a drive-in with a clown painted on it. I was always told as a little girl when you pass, the eyes would follow you. Sure enough, it seemed so.
- Karen Duggar Loar
My parents met at the Cowtown Theater in the late "60s. My dad was the "lot boy," and my mom worked in the concession stand. He pursued her for a year before she agreed to go on a date with him. They were married 35 years when my dad passed in 2007. Mom said the tar on the parking lot at the Cowtown Theater would get so hot in the summer that it would stick to your shoes.
- Danielle Isbill Ungerleider
I think I currently hold the record for the most theaters worked at in Fort Worth. In drive-ins, I started working at the Cowtown Drive-in when I was 13. Many of the theaters were owned by common partners so I also worked at the Corral in Lake Worth; The Parkaire on University; The Westerner in River Oaks; the Cherry Lane Twin on Cherry Lane; and many (more than 10) indoor theaters. Most of those I worked at with my best friend. During the "60s and "70s we had some of the best theater crews in Fort Worth. When I started at the Cowtown, I was paid $3 a night. We worked hard to become managers so we could get $5 a night. There are so many great stories. I don't think anything today can replace the character of the old theaters and the camaraderie of the people that worked at them.
- Wayne Thompson
The Cherry Lane and the Westside Drive In. I had many a good time there, and every once in a while, I actually saw a movie.
- Chris Mayfield
My absolute favorite times as a child were when my mamma would fry chicken, make bread and butter sandwiches, pack up my Nana's homemade dill pickles, add in chocolate chip cookies, and we'd all head off to the Twin. It was usually one of the Duke's movies -- my daddy's favorite. I'd snuggle in a nest of my Nana's quilts in the back seat, usually falling asleep before the end of the movie.
When I got older, I was allowed to go play by myself at the playground. Absolutely magical. A group of instant friends, never seen again, who'd play under the lights before the movie started and then under the flickering light during the film. I still remember some of them. Kids coming and going, parents hovering … an adventure in the semi-darkness.What I wouldn't give for another night like that with my parents.
- Paulie Ellen Wear Killgore
In order to drive the family station wagon, I "offered" to haul my 11-year-old brother and his buds to their games, parties and drive in movies. This had to be around 1970. We would take tacos, sandwiches, whatever Mom had cooked that day. I took these young punks to see the classic gore fest George Romero's Night of the Living Dead at the Twin Theater off Interstate 30. Right when it got to the part where the zombies were gorging out on some tasty innards, I turned around and let the kids see me take a big ole chomp out of my beef kidney taco! (All with appropriate sound effects!) I was quite the actress. I can still remember the looks on their faces and hear their screams. Those "boys" and I still have a good laugh about it.
- Carmen Vasquez
Click Here to read Fond Memories of the Cowtown Drive-In by Pamela Key Vinton
