Pico Rivera, CA - The Fiesta Drive-in originally opened for business in September of 1949 as the Whittier Drive-in Theatre. Owned by Pacific Theatres, the open air theatre expanded to four screens in the 1980's.
Happy Times at the Fiesta
Pico Rivera, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
A giant movie screen once gave this stretch of Pico Rivera an attraction that was hard to overlook. The Fiesta Drive-In Theatre welcomed generations of moviegoers looking for a double feature under the stars. Pull in, find a good spot, and settle down for an evening where the family car became the theatre seating.
Originally called the Whittier Drive-In, the theatre opened on September 29, 1949, with Johnny Stool Pigeon and Roughshod. Despite the name, it stood in the community of Pico, which later became part of Pico Rivera. Apparently the name of the boulevard made a stronger impression than the city boundary.
Where's the speaker? At left is the Fiesta Drive-in of Pico Rivera.
Stop by for your choice of 4 movies (or 8 if you count the double feature)!
If you stop by the swap-meet before-hand, watch out for the birds!
Fiesta Drive-in ticket booths
Pico Rivera, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Designed by theatre architect J. Arthur Drielsma for Pacific Theatres, the drive-in was built to accommodate more than 1,200 cars. That made it an enormous outdoor gathering place at a time when Southern California was finding more and more things to do without leaving the automobile behind.
The screen tower offered something to admire before the movies began. Its large painted mural depicted a Mexican landscape, giving the theatre a distinctive roadside face. While customers inside waited for darkness, passing motorists could enjoy a little scenery without purchasing a ticket.
The Main Screen - Leveled
Pico Rivera, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
For decades, the drive-in brought together families, couples, and groups of friends. A trip to the concession stand helped fill the intermission, and finding the car again could provide a little additional entertainment. Rows of similar-looking automobiles probably made remembering the parking spot a useful skill.
The property also had a busy daytime life as a popular swap meet. The same grounds that filled with moviegoers after dark became a place to browse merchandise and hunt for bargains. A weekend visit could involve considerably more shopping than the price of admission suggested.
In the early 1980s, the theatre divided its grounds into four screening areas and became the Fiesta Four Drive-In. More screens brought more choices, keeping the outdoor venue going as indoor multiplexes became increasingly common. The familiar destination carried on for another two decades.
As of this date, the drive-in movie theatre scene has been reduced at an alarming rate
in Los Angeles County and now there are just three. Well wait... actually
two. With the demise of the Fiesta 4 drive-in in Pico Rivera, just the
Vineland and Azusa Foothill survive, albeit tenuously.
The remains of the projector booth
Pico Rivera, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The final movies played on July 20, 2000. Demolition began on August 1, bringing down the screens and clearing away a landmark that had entertained the neighborhood for more than fifty years. This time, there wouldn’t be another coming attraction on the old lot.
The property became the Village Walk shopping center, with stores and an indoor cinema replacing the open-air theatre. Movies remained part of the location, though watching from the front seat was no longer on the program.
UPDATE: The former "Whittier Drive-in" closed on July 20, 2000 then ran headlong into a bulldozer
the 1st of August. So when you cruise Whittier Boulevard at night from
East L.A. to Pico, don't look out the window for the familiar movie lights
on the open air screen. The lights are now left to flicker in memory.
UPDATE: The Fiesta Drive-In Theatre closed in July 2000 and was demolished beginning that August. Its screens and roadside signage are gone, and the former grounds were redeveloped as the Village Walk commercial center. 10-26
Happy Times at the Fiesta
Fiesta Drive-in ticket booths
The Main Screen - Leveled
The remains of the projector booth
