TPF Fans, 2024 discounted admission tickets are now on-sale. Our new 2024 merchandise is also available at the TPF store in a wider variety of styles and color options for on-line and pre-show purchase.

Tournament Registration is being finalized and goes on sale September 30th.  More Details will be out soon.

We are extending the availability our Re-Threads shirts so that you can combine your order with our new 2024 design.  Due to vendor production issues, a few of the original styles and sizes we offered are no longer available and you will receive a refund. If you already ordered and wish to purchase additional 2024 merchandise,  just email us for a one-time coupon code at info AT texaspinball.com – indicate “Shipping Discount” in the subject and we will wave the shipping cost on your second order.

TPF Fans, preparations have been made for a faster than normal race start, so don’t get stuck in the pits.   Last year’s race time to beat is 52 min.    If you are a bit slower off the starting line, there are other strategies and options to secure a place to stay.  Many Hotels are open already except for Embassy (check out our hotel page).   Secret race hint….Hyatt House and Hilton Garden Inn are approximately the same number of steps to the Exhibit Hall entrance.

Just click image at 9.am. Central time Aug 15th, 2023

TPF Guys and Gals – Introducing Re-Threads, our new vintage merch catalog.  Go back in time… well maybe not that far back.  Visit the Texas Pinball Festival website store for “Brilliant True to Life Color” for 2 of our popular prior show designs: Kosmic Khaos 2018, and 3D 2023.  These shirts also offer a new softer material in most styles and come in a variety of colors.  There are even styles with pockets, tie-dyed, bowling, and several women’s cuts.  Ever wanted a TPF shirt in safety green?  We’ve got you covered!  You’ll have an option of shipping them direct to you or picking them up at the 2024 show.  We may also do a pop-up in the Frisco area in October where you can pick-up show orders early.

Visit the Store for details.

WOW! THAT WAS AMAZING!

Another TPF has come and gone. As usual, we needed a few days (ahem… weeks) to recover.

And now it’s time to say THANK YOU!

TPF2023 was the BEST one yet! There is absolutely no way that we could have pulled this off without the support of an incredible pinball community that reaches far and wide. We had Exhibitors bring games from all over the United States and Vendors that came and shipped games from all over the world!

Putting on THE best pinball show though… that’s impossible without you and the games you bring to share with us all weekend. Every year, we’re amazed at the quantity and quality of machines that you bring to the show. And we’re proud you take ownership in the Texas Pinball Festival.

This year, sincere thanks go to our dedicated and passionate volunteers: Pam Heffern, Tony Macevicius, Heath Stidham, Robert Harris, Jaelanne and Trey Gilliam, Kris Klinge, Gina Curbo, Michael and Melinda Braly, Kristin and Clark Nethers, Greg and Julie Spivey, Lauren VanderVeen, Blake Dumesnil, Colin MacAlpine, Ken Kemp, Liz Dronet and Dick Curtis, and Richard and Howard Barnett. And we can’t forget our Best in Show Judges Bill Morrison, Scott Martin, Rich Wiski, and Keith Holbrook. You all spent more hours than we can count making sure things were handled… before, during and after the show. There were another 40+ volunteers that helped us fill in the gaps. We even had people just step in and lend a hand where they saw a need. Thank you all!

There are too many to list here, but we wanted to recognize all of our special guests and speakers, including industry designers, artists and online and media personalities. We were pleased to have pinball manufacturers and executives bring their newest games out to show off. 7 new titles debuted at TPF2023!

As much effort as we put into making the Texas Pinball Festival a great show, we recognize the time and effort each of you puts forth. YOU make TPF the best pinball show in the country! It’s your show!

THANK YOU FOR MAKING TPF2023 INCREDIBLE!

And now we say Congratulations! to all of our winners… and there were a lot of them, even if we can’t list them all here.

To start with, Morgan Stickney (center) took home the Stern “The Simpson’s Pinball Party” pinball machine in our charity raffle benefitting the National Videogame Museum and Kidd’s Kids. 

This brand new 20-year-old time capsule was generously donated by Ross and Lisa Viguet (left). You can see the unboxing here hosted by Cary Hardy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5ZRAFSaXnw

Tournaments!

Karl DeAngelo took home the top prize in the Texas Wizards Tournament. Escher Lefkoff dominated in the Classics Tournament. Meghan Shattuck was the winner of the Women’s Tournament. Miles Bradley took the Number 1 spot in the Kids’ Bump ‘n’ Win.

Exhibitor James Kemp earned the Grand Champion plaque in the Best In Show competition for his incredible Fish Tales.

During Exhibitor check in, over 400 pinball machines and classic arcades came through the doors. We awarded over $20,000 in tournament money and trophies and over $1,500 in the Best In Show Award money. All in all, more than 4,600 people attended the 2023 Texas Pinball Festival.

For the best TPF2023 show coverage, head over to Pinball News to check out Martin Ayub’s wrap up. Jonathan Joosten at Pinball Magazine also wrote up a great article.

If you didn’t see the TWIPY Awards Show LIVE… and you haven’t seen it since, you can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-2BXTXLXIY

A lot of effort went into this production… William Oetting from This Week in Pinball, Imoto, Todd Tuckey, and their committee did an amazing job.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2022 TWIPY AWARD WINNERS!

Finally… TPF Organizers Ed and Kim VanderVeen are announcing their retirement as TPF show runners.

Founding organizer Paul McKinney will continue to carry the TPF torch along with a new team he will introduce soon. Ed and Kim will be at TPF2024, but they will be playing pinball, enjoying the show, and visiting with all of you! 

Mark your calendars now for TPF2024!
March 15-17, 2024

Stern Pinball’s newest game designer, Jack Danger, is heralded for his many innovations in the Pinball industry regarding media and exposure over the years. Starting his design career with Stern’s Jurassic Park Home Edition, Stern Pinball just released Jack’s second machine: Foo Fighters!

Jack started his career as an animator and worked on commercials, music videos and feature films for nearly 20 years prior to launching his own design studio. When he got into pinball, he launched the “Dead Flip” streaming channel, where he livestreamed pinball, became a Stern Brand Ambassador and was the driving force for the “Pinball” category being added on Twitch.

ColorDMD Pinball Displays is again making a special offer for TPF2023 pinball Exhibitors: $50 off and free delivery on a new ColorDMD display picked up at the show and installed in your game OR $50 credit toward your next ColorDMD display for any game at the show that already has a ColorDMD in it!

Email Randy@colordmd.com to make arrangements so he knows how many displays to bring! How awesome is that? 

Be sure to check out their lineup of Color DMD titles on their website!

Exclusive offer for TPF2023 attendees! 50% off and a free ride to the National Videogame Museum

Show your TPF wristband at the door March 24-26 to gain entry to the NVM for just $6! That’s 50% off the regular $12 price! They are even offering a FREE shuttle ride on Saturday! AND, since this year’s pinball raffle benefits the NVM, make sure you get your raffle tickets before heading to the museum, show your raffle ticket stub at the NVM, and receive an additional 8 tokens for their arcade FREE!

The NVM is only 4 miles from TPF so you don’t want to miss it!

Join us Friday, March 24th at 8pm at the Texas Pinball Festival for a special showing of this new exciting film followed by commentary and Q&A by the man himself, Roger Sharpe. Seating is limited and a TPF show entry is required. See Roger Sharpe’s TPF guest announcement here.

Join Todd Tuckey and Imoto Harney for a screening of the short film “Skill Shot, Baby! Pinball Epiphany” on Friday, March 24^th at 7pm. The short features a scene from the feature film script in which Jake, a newcomer to the game of pinball, meets Bart, a seasoned veteran operator for the first time. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with Todd and Imoto. Visit skillshotbaby.com for more information on the film.

Everyone’s favorite pinball engineer and tech is coming back to Texas. Butch has worked in pinball for some time and has been involved in the making of several games including Wizard of Oz, Hobbit, Pirates of the Caribbean and many others.

Butch is working with Chicago Gaming Company and will be hanging out in the CGC booth all weekend, He may even join in on one of the seminars.

A graduate of the Columbus College of Art & Design, Michael has been working professionally as an illustrator for close to 20 years running his own freelance illustration company: Sunburn Designs. Michael is also the artist behind Stern’s RUSH pinball machine.

This will be his first Texas Pinball Festival!

Michael will be at TPF all weekend and you’ll likely find him hanging out with John Borg.

Founder and CEO of Jersey Jack Pinball, Jack returns to TPF2023 joining Steve Ritchie and Eric Meunier to show off Jersey Jack’s line of pinball machine.

Jack will be visiting with fans and guests all weekend and I bet you can catch him at the Jersey Jack Seminar Friday night.

Legendary pinball designer Dennis Nordman will be joining us at TPF2023. Dennis has been working on his upcoming title with American Pinball and we can’t wait to see (and play) it!

Dennis is best known for pinball favorites such as Elvira and the Party Monsters, Scared Stiff, Dr. Dude, Pirates of the Caribbean, Whoa Nelly! Big Juicy Melons, Zombie League All Stars, and most recently, Elvira’s House of Horrors, and so many more!

Dennis will be visiting with fans and guests all weekend and we bet you’ll catch him at the American Pinball seminar!

Don’t miss out on the Texas Pinball Festival Swap Meet on Saturday morning, March 25th, 2023. The DFW Pinball & Arcade Club does such an awesome job every year!

The DFW Pinball & Arcade Club is a gathering of pinball and video game enthusiasts. Anyone interested in gaming or learning more about pinball machines and/or video games is welcome.

As always, admission to the Swap Meet is free of charge. Make some cash (and room in the garage) and bring out those project games and parts. If you are interested in a space at the Swap Meet, contact the DFW Pinball & Arcade Club via Facebook.

Roger Sharpe’s demonstration of the game as skill-based overturned New York City’s thirty-four-year ban on pinball machines in 1976. His story, now a film, “PINBALL: The Man Who Saved The Game” is set to open in theaters on March 17th. 

Roger is also the former Director of Marketing and Licensing at Williams Bally/Midway, a pinball historian, a player, and former pinball designer at Stern, Williams, and Game Plan. 

Roger will host a presentation and Q&A about the film and will be visiting with fans and guests all weekend.

Pinball designer John Borg will be returning to the 2023 Texas Pinball Festival joining a growing list of other designers and guests. 

John is well known in the industry for popular titles such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Munsters, Aerosmith, Metallica, TRON, Iron Man, X-Men, Tales from the Crypt, Guardians of the Galaxy. He’s topping that incredible list with his latest title: RUSH! 

John will be visiting with TPF guests over the weekend and will be happy to sign that translite or flyer while he’s there.

Mike Vinikour is an Associate Game Developer at Stern Pinball. Mike has worked on almost every Stern game released in the past several years including RUSH and James Bond 007. 

Other titles Mike worked on are Batman, Iron Maiden, KISS, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Beatles, and many more. Mike also has an impressive resume with some of your favorite arcade games including Mortal Kombat. 

You can usually find Mike hanging around in the Marco / FUN! booth answering questions, teaching the rules to games, and giving away Stern swag.

The final voting for the TWIPYs will start on January 1, 2023 and end at midnight on January 16, 2023 at twipys.com. We are very excited to have Imoto Arcade and Todd Tuckey as hosts for the live awards ceremony at the Texas Pinball Festival on March 25th 2023. The ceremony will be live streamed on the TWIP YouTube Channel. 

Imoto travels the world exploring gaming culture focusing on the resurgence of arcades and pinball. Her goal is to help these public and social gaming experiences thrive by encouraging everyone to get out of their houses and visit local arcades and gaming events. Imoto works with Marco Pinball and MarcoTV to promote pinball events, expos and arcade locations. She hopes to inspire more people to embrace gaming culture and to help them find their passions in the gaming world. 

Todd is the owner and President of TNT Amusements Inc. He also runs the company’s official YouTube channel with over 42,000 subscribers. Having been in the coin-op business for over 40 years, Todd knows everybody in the industry and has hundreds of friends and fans.

With production of Weird Al’s Museum of Natural Hilarity in full swing, Gerry Stellenberg and the Multimorphic crew are returning in 2023 to show off their full catalog of games and demonstrate all of the features that set the P3 apart from other machines.

They say it’s “One Machine, Many Games”, but they’re bringing 10 of them, each set up with a unique gaming experience. Gerry and some of the game designers will also be presenting a seminar on the latest developments at Multimorphic.

Yes, you read that correctly!

On the 20th Anniversary of it’s release, the Texas Pinball Festival will be giving away a NEW, The Simpsons Pinball Party which is being generously donated by fellow pinball collectors Ross and Lisa Viguet. This incredible pinball time capsule is still sealed in the box.

Our plan is to have an unboxing and set-up on Thursday evening, March 23th. The game will be set-up with new leg/cabinet protectors installed, and thoroughly gone through by Pinball-ERS including MPU board inspection (repair or replacement if needed), new Titan rubbers and LEDs courtesy of Titan Pinball, and a new ColorDMD installed! More details to come.

Raffle tickets are available for sale only at the show. 

For 2023, we will be donating/splitting the proceeds of the TPF Raffle between Texas based children’s charity Kidd’s Kids and the National Videogame Museum. Locals know and love this venue. If you don’t, we encourage you to visit NVM, just a short ride from the show, during TPF weekend.

Click here to read more about the Texas Pinball Raffle, the National Videogame Museum, Kidd’s Kids, and see the gallery of winners.

Famed pinball designer and good friend Mark Ritchie is coming back to Texas! We love having Mark. He is truly a fan favorite and has become a TPF staple. 

Mark has designed some the most loved and collectible pinball machines in the hobby, including Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure, Fish Tales, Diner, Big Guns, Firepower II, Police Force, Sorcerer and Kingpin just to name a few. 

Mark will be visiting with TPF guests and signing autographs so bring your favorite Mark Ritchie design translite for a signature!

Game designer of Jersey Jack Pinball’s smash hits “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Guns N’ Roses”, and part of the team on every other JJP game, Eric has certainly made a name for himself in the pinball world. We can’t wait to see what he’s working on next. Eric will be joining us all weekend visiting with guests and fans.

Cary is a pinball content creator on Youtube. His channel covers a variety of topics in the hobby. His entertaining videos include topics such as: Discussing current events, performing restorations, comedic skits, educational “How To’s”, product installs, reviews, and more. 

Cary will be at TPF2023 all weekend and participating in the unboxing of our NIB Simpsons Pinball Party raffle game. Be sure to find him and say hello. Check out his YouTube channel!

We are happy to announce that fellow pinball aficionados and friends Jonathan Joosten of Pinball Magazine and Martin Ayub of Pinball News will be back at TPF2023 for another round of their fun game show: “So You Think You Know Pinball?” in the Cypress Bar in the Embassy (day/time TBD). 

This fun and entertaining event will feature pinball trivia, prizes, and lots of laughs and good times! Don’t miss it!

In 2016, Franchi arrived on the pinball scene with the illustrious Ka-Pow/Stern produced Batman ’66 games. His colorful, exciting designs and realism quickly earned him a spot in the hearts of pinball fans worldwide. His follow-ups; Guardians of the Galaxy, The Munsters and The Beatles were also fan favorites, with The Munsters earning him his first TWIPY for best art.

Franchi has also been known to grab a mic and saddle up with his podcast partner Christian Line (Dr. Pin) and Jeff Parsons for the slickly produced Super Awesome Pinball Show. If you wonder where he’s been, he’s busy working on 5 new titles, to be released over the next couple years, as well as a few other secret projects you’ll soon see. Christopher will be at TPF2023 all weekend selling some of his amazing art and visiting with guests and fans.

Scott Danesi has certainly made a name for himself with his break out hit “Total Nuclear Annihilation” and his second title “Rick and Morty” by Spooky Pinball.

Most recently, Scott partnered with Multimorphic by creating sound packages for multiple P3 games including Weird Al’s Museum of Natural Hilarity, ROCs, and more. Scott will be joining us all weekend visiting with guests and fans.  

If you’ve never met Scott, make sure you do. He’s a pretty cool dude.

TPF2023 in 3D Swag NOW AVAILABLE: New shirts and hoodies featuring artwork by the very talented Brad Albright (each 2023 shirt will include a pair of 3D glasses). A limited collection of previous Texas Pinball Festival show merchandise is also available.

EXHIBITORS: TPF needs you! YOU are the most important part of the show! Game registration is also open! Bring a game and get in FREE along with all the other exhibitor perks! Sign up now!

VENDORS: See our vendor page for information on being a TPF2023 vendor and get all the details. Space is limited. If you were a TPF2022 Vendor, we will be contacting you soon!

On your mark….

Here is the TPF2023 pre-registration opening schedule for Saturday, October 15th, 2022 at https://texaspinball.com/tpf/store/.

10:00am CDT – TPF Wizards* Tournament Entry sales begin 
10:30am CDT – TPF Women’s* Tournament Entry sales begin
11:00am CDT – TPF Classics Tournament Entry sales begin
11:00am CDT – Tournament Waitlists open (as applicable)
11:00am CDT – TPF Preregistration for discounted weekend passes, Exhibitor sign up, and TPF merchandise begins

* Wizards and Women’s Tournament Entry sales will be exclusive for their specific tournament for their specific time. No other item will be available for sale during those time slots

READ THIS: 

• A Wizards Tournament ticket INCLUDES a TPF2023 weekend pass. You may only buy one tournament entry at a time. 
• You cannot buy multiple entries of the same type in a single transaction. 
•  Women’s and Classics Tournament tickets DO NOT INCLUDE a TPF2023 weekend pass. All tournament players are required to have a TPF2023 weekend pass (or day pass for each day playing). If you don’t get a Wizards entry that includes a pass, be sure to get your Weekend Pass or register as an Exhibitor after the 11am CDT start time.
• If you buy a Wizard’s Tournament ticket and also have a weekend pass by another means (ie: you are an Exhibitor or Vendor or you are Steve Ritchie), bring a friend so they can watch you dominate! 

Instructions for a Smooth Transaction: 

1. Select the desired tournament entry item from the TPF store.
2. Enter the required fields at a minimum:
   – First Name
   – Last Name
   – State (drop down selection)
   – Country (drop down selection)
   – IFPA Player # (Use 00000 if you don’t have one)
   – Manually update the Quantity to “1” even if it shows “1” by default
3. Click Add to Bag.
4. Copy/paste any applicable coupon code you might have into the coupon code field and click Apply.
5. Enter your email address.
6. Click “I agree with Terms and Conditions”.
7. Click Checkout.
8. Follow prompts to make payment.

PRO TIPS: 

• Once you place your tournament entry in your shopping cart, IMMEDIATELY check out and finish your payment. A tournament entry in your shopping cart is not yours until you successfully make the payment. We highly recommend not trying to add other items to your shopping cart if you are purchasing a Wizards or Women’s tournament ticket.
• For best performance, the preferred browser for our store is Chrome.
• Don’t forget to manually update the quantity field to 1 before clicking “Add to Bag.” Yes, it may already default to 1, but you must update it anyway. It’s a bug… we’ve reported it, but we can’t be sure they’ll fix it in time… so we’re telling you (everybody) now. It’s an issue that affects everyone equally, and we’re doing our utmost to make sure everyone is aware of it and knows how to handle it.

Take a minute and review the TPF Tournament Pages: https://texaspinball.com/tpf/tournaments/.