Ball-O-Jak Drive-In

3104 S. Main Street,
Roswell, NM 88203

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MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on June 2, 2022 at 11:36 pm

As kennerado noted, this drive-in consistently advertised from at least 1953 until it closed as the Ballojak (occasionally Ballojack) with no hyphens or spaces.

The Feb. 17, 1951 issue of Boxoffice included the Ballojak in a list of drive-ins under construction. The 1952 Theatre Catalog included the “Ballo Jak (sic?) D. I. Exec: R. I. Payne, Theatre Entrs., Inc., Tower Petroleum Bldg., Dallas, Tex. (500)” So it must have opened in 1951.

The final ad I could find in the Roswell Daily Record for the Ballojak, then owned by Commonwealth, was on Sept. 20, 1970.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on October 31, 2021 at 1:25 pm

Still in operation since 1967.

kennerado
kennerado on June 8, 2021 at 3:18 am

It was also called BallOJak without the dashes in the name.

Kenmore
Kenmore on October 23, 2018 at 2:27 pm

A 1961 aerial photo shows the drive-in to be intact and seemingly operating.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 23, 2018 at 11:35 am

Odd name!! Why the name Ball-O-Jak?

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on October 23, 2018 at 2:53 am

the ramps are still there!