Internationally attended pinball and arcade tournament returns to Sherwood Park

A pinball tournament in Sherwood Park this weekend is attracting pros with $10,000 worth of prizes, but is also open to anyone who wants to enjoy some pinball.

The ninth iteration of a nostalgic arcade tournament is coming to Sherwood Park’s Millennium Place this weekend, but you can keep your quarters at home.

The Yegpin 2026 Pinball and Arcade Expo is hosting four tournaments and $10,000 worth of prizes for the professionals trying to beat their high scores through the International Flipper Pinball Association.

The freeplay featuring 330 games, however, is open to everyone of all ages.

Organizers expect to host more than 300 players from as far away as the U.S., Europe and Australia. Last year the show saw more than 2,200 attendees altogether.

Yegpin President Scott Stinchcombe says the draw of the event is often nostalgia.

“You don’t see (pinball machines) at the roots of corner stores or that many arcades anymore, so we just like to bring out the passion of all the donors in the community, as we are a not-for-profit organization,” he said on Thursday.

“It’s a lot of manpower to get this all together, just so the public can come out and enjoy a weekend and maybe relive some of their youth back in the day.”

Yegpin also hosts league nights every Saturday for those who can’t get enough.

“But this is the big extreme. It’s the biggest event in Canada when it comes to pinball machines,” Stinchcombe said.

Both the competition and freeplay run until Sunday, where the newest pinball machines on display are for sale.

More information can be found here.