With more than 1,100 retro and modern pinball machines and video games, the Museum of Pinball in Banning, Calif., will play host to the 5th annual Arcade Expo March 15-17.
Expecting around 3,000 attendees through the three-day weekend, Arcade Expo 5.0 will feature free play on their machines, a “Starcade” (games out on the patio), a Donkey Kong “Kong Off” and around a dozen vendors, according to Johnathon Weeks, co-founder of the museum.
A swap meet/flea market with all types of arcade machines and related game room items for sale will be held March 16 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (contact Pete for info at 760-815-2959).
The Arcade Expo’s pinball and arcade silent auction will also be held that day from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. with the preview auction all day March 15.
The Spring Classics Pinball Tournament will be held that Saturday, too, with qualifying on classic games open from 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Finals for the top 20 participants will start at 7 p.m. There is a $15 entry fee for the tournament. All entry fees will go back to the field in payouts. Captain’s Auction Warehouse is sponsoring the tournament, and will be giving away a $500 gift certificate to the winner. For the first time, the tournament will be streamed live on Twitch.
Arcade Expo is open March 15 from 2:30 p.m.-midnight; March 16 from 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; and March 17 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tickets are $130 for an adult three-day pass and $35 for a child three-day pass. One-day options are available and can be found at www.arcadeexpo.com, along with additional information.
RePlay will have more coverage of the event next week and in a future issue of the magazine.