Article content

Arcades have vanished from the streets of Edmonton, but pinball enthusiasts are still getting their fix.

This weekend, the third annual YEGPIN — Edmonton Pinball and Arcade Expo is taking place at the Alberta Aviation Museum. Derek Thomson, event organizer and president of Edmonton’s Die Hard Pinball League, is expecting all walks of life to partake in a shared love of the game.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Flippin' good time: Edmonton expo to host pinball wizards Back to video

“All ages are welcome, but we target the 40- to 60-year-olds who lived and breathed arcade when they were young,” says Thomson, noting that the event’s 100 pinball and arcade machines were sourced from collectors across Edmonton and Western Canada.

It’s the collector community seeking to relive childhood memories who are fuelling the resurgence of the pinball industry, explains Thomson.

“The industry moved in a new direction, now that those arcades have closed down and people have pinball machines in their homes,” he says, adding there are four to five pinball manufactures pumping out up to four titles a year, replete with eye-catching video screens and pop culture themes.