Fourth annual Golden State Pinball Festival begins in Lodi
LODI - Lodi Grape Festival Grounds is hosting the fourth annual Golden State Pinball Festival Friday through Sunday.
Started in 2012 in Dixon, California, the show kicked off with the inception of the Northern California Pinball Association under the name 'Pin-a-Go-Go' and has been held every year during the weekend after Mother's Day. The event then moved to Lodi in 2018 under its new and current name, 'Golden State Pinball Festival.'
According to Steve Frisvold, of the Northern California Pinball Association, the event holds over 300 collector-curated pinball machines from all over California. "We have really old machines from the you know, the 50s, the 60s, the old electromechanical machines, all the way up to the brand-new electronic ones," Frisvold said.
The collectors who brought in machines include Alameda's Pacific Pinball Museum, Monterey Flipper Pinball at Lynn's Arcade, Pinball Pirate and more.
"All of the machines are free once you pay for admission," Frisvold said. "All the benefits go towards the World of Wonders Museum in Lodi and the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda."
Frisvold added that during the weekend-long event, some pinball enthusiasts camp at the festival grounds all weekend and bring pinball machines along with them.
Ryan Brown is one such pinhead, who drove down from Roseville with his wife, a two-year old son and a 1980s model 'Space Station' Pinball machine for the weekend. "I have come out here every single year since they have held it here in Lodi, so this is perhaps my fourth year at the show," Brown said. "Today is the first time my son is at the show."
The event also included other 20th century models such as the 1992 Alvin G. Soccer Ball, which is a head-to-head game and one of the only 500 models of its kind. Adrian DeGroot, the collector of the machine, also brought in another head-to-head game machine called 'Joust', which he built on his own.
"I got all the parts and put it together and built my own cabinet and programmed it myself." DeGroot said. "It's working right now, and hopefully, it'll work throughout the weekend."
The event will be held through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with day passes available at different prices. Passes can be obtained on their website here.