Wes-Mer drive-in theater in Mercedes celebrates 73 years

While there are only 400 drive-in movie theaters left in the U.S., one South Texas drive in is celebrating a big milestone, with no plans to slow down. If you ever passed through 2090 W. Business 83, you likely saw the Wesmer Drive-in. What you might not have known, however, is that there are 73 years of history behind that screen.The Wes-Mer Drive-In theater, named after its location, between Mercedes and Weslaco opened in early July 1950. Throughout Texas’s history, the state has been home to about four thousand drive-in theaters, but now about 20 remain, and one sits in tiger town. 

“Congratulations To The New Wes-Mer Drive-In Theatre,’’ the newspaper’s full-page ad said on July 6, 1950. The first movie shown on the Wes-Mer’s big screen was Everybody Does It. Don’t miss it! The Enterprise ad printed about the opening night movie experience. 

Wes-Mer opened in the late 1940s, histories of the Wes-Mer state that its first owner was Jewel Archer, who also owned the Sky Vue Theatre in Elsa, which opened in 1949. Archer and his wife owned the Wes-Mer until 1956, when they sold it to Lew Bray, the district manager for interstate’s Rio Grande Valley theaters. Hector Benitez, a pioneer in the RGV Movie theater industry and member of the Will Rodgers Motion Pictures Pioneers Foundation owned the theater between the 80s and 90s. His love and passion for the cinema began at an early age through his parents, who brought the first silent movies to Weslaco. From there, he and his brothers owned and operated numerous movie theaters and drive-ins throughout the Rio Grande Valley.  Wes-Mer was purchased by Hector Garza in 2004.  News accounts reported that he grew up going to drive-in theaters in South Texas and owned outdoor movie venues in Mission and Falfurrias. He revived the Wes-Mer and it is still open and going strong today under the direction of Lydia Garza. 

A movie projector donated by Mrs. Benitez along with a collection of photos displaying the carloads of people at the theater are displayed in a permanent exhibit at the Weslaco Museum.Joe Vidales, a local expert historian and longtime museum volunteer, said “These types of images are priceless because we don’t have that anymore.”  

More than 70 years after its opening, the big screen of Wes-Mer still stands between two Mid-Valley cities, with carloads of families still lining up to enter its historic grounds. After all these years, Garza said in a TV interview “there is (still) nothing better than watching a movie on a big screen under the stars, (with) a full moon’’ to keep everyone company. Admission prices on Tuesdays are $5 per vehicle and other days $10 per vehicle. To find a listing of  movie showings go to wesmerdrivein.com.