'Largest Citywide Pinball Show Ever,' Pincinnati, Returns to Eastgate This December

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Photo: Senad Palic/Unsplash

The Pincinnati expo and gaming competition returns to the Holiday Inn in Eastgate Dec. 1-3.

Pinball wizards of all ages can take part in the self-proclaimed “largest citywide pinball show ever” with the return of Pincinnati this December.

The Pincinnati expo and gaming competition will be held at the newly renovated Holiday Inn Eastgate from Friday-Sunday, Dec. 1-3 with more than 120 new and vintage machines, including "ultra-rare and one-of-a-kind machines and even machines that have yet to be released to the public," per a release.

The best part? No quarters needed. Play is free with admission. There will also be three tournaments happening over the weekend, which will be live-streamed on Twitch with play-by-play commentary. Pincinnati organizers say the tournaments will be bigger than ever, with openings for up to 100 competitors from all over the country.

For those looking to outfit their machines — or buy a new one — there will be a newly expanded shopping area with vendors offering pinball parts, accessories, memorabilia, Pincinnati merch and more. Food trucks will also be on-site to add more dining options and local flavor to the event.

Pincinnati was launched in 2018 and has attracted thousands of pinball fans from as far away as Maine and Arizona.

“Pinball is not only alive and well, it is booming with record pinball machine sales and pinball arcade growth across the country,” organizers said in the release. “Pincinnati is a celebration of that boom, bringing together new and historic machines from collectors all over the region.”

The expo aims to not only highlight America's re-emerging fascination with pinball, but also claim Cincinnati's title as the birthplace of the game.

"English inventor Montague Redgrave was living in Cincinnati when he, in 1871, took the popular common French table game Bagatelle and added a tilted playfield, a spring-loaded plunger, 'pins' and gates to act as barriers and obstacles to guide the ball towards the scoring holes, and a bell system to indicate scoring," Pincinnati organizers said in a release for 2021's event. "It is from this core platform that all classic and modern pinball machines are derived, cementing Cincinnati’s place in history as the birthplace of pinball."

Pincinnati hours are 2 p.m. to midnight Friday, Dec. 1; 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, Dec. 2; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. You can purchase tickets now at early-bird prices until Nov. 27:

• Friday: $20
• Saturday: $25
• Sunday: $15
• Weekend Pass: $55

Holiday Inn Eastgate, 4501 Eastgate Blvd., Eastgate. More info: pincinnati.com.