Northwest Pinball Championships @ Lynnwood Bowl & Skate

Earn some pinball street cred 🕹️

📸: Sketch22

Oh boy, the Northwest Pinball Championships are finally back after two years of pandemic cancelations. And by golly, the world has been waiting with bated breath to crown some new pinball champions. From September 9 to 11, pinball players will duke it out for a title and a cash prize. Before that happens, Seattle-area pinball bars have scheduled pre-championship tournaments to build up sweet anticipation for the main event. 

There will be eight tournaments around Seattle during the week before the championship tournament in Lynnwood. While I know nothing about pinball and whether or not it’s a good spectator sport, I’ve selected the tournaments I think you should go watch—or enter for a chance to win a cash prize, some pinball street cred, and an opportunity to play in the championship tournament. 

First up this week: Shorty’s in Belltown will host head-to-head three-strike knockout matchups on Monday, August 29. Registration starts at 7:30 and the gameplay starts promptly at 8:00. It costs $10 to enter. Then, the same sort of tournament is going down at Olaf’s in Ballard on Friday, September 2 at 8:00 pm, and Jupiter in Belltown on Tuesday September 6 at 8:30 pm. All of those tournaments are ages 21+. You can find more information on those tournaments and other pre-championship tournaments happening in the area here

While you’re probably more likely to win if you know your way around a pinball machine, all play levels are welcome! 

Event schedule and information:

• Seattle Womxn @ Ice Box â€“ Tuesday, Aug 16th @ 7:30 pm

• Admiral Pub â€“ Thursday, Aug 25th @ 7:30 pm

• Waterland Arcade â€“ Saturday, Aug 27th @ 7 pm

• Shorty’s â€“ Monday, Aug 29th @ 8 pm

• Olaf’s â€“ Friday, Sept 2nd @ 8 pm

• Another Castle Edmonds â€“ Saturday, Sept 3rd @ 7 pm

• Jupiter â€“ Tuesday, Sept 6th @ 8:30 pm

• The Ice Box â€“ Thursday, Sept 8th @ 8 pm

• Championship: Lynnwood Bowl & Skate â€” Friday, Sept 9th – Saturday, Sept, 11th

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Author

Nathalie Graham

Nathalie is a writer focused on anything she finds weird or fun. Sometimes this includes local politics and the environment, sometimes this involves scootering half-nude in Tacoma. She used to work as a staff writer at The Stranger where she did a lot of that sort of thing. She detests dentists and loves costume parties.