Your grandparents might have joined a bowling league. Today, you can join a pinball league. A pinball renaissance is happening across the Northwest, thanks to a fervent community (called Pinheads) that frequently gathers, holds tournaments, and keeps these machines flipping. Seattle now ranks second in the United States in terms of how many pinball games the city has (590) and how many establishments offer pinball (95).

Both Ashley Weaver and Dwayne Collins are transplants to Seattle. It’s pinball that has kept them there. Weaver hosts weekly pinball tournaments at 8-Bit in Renton. Collins hosts another at Jupiter in Belltown. They talk about why these games are so popular, why a community has formed around it, and why you should spend your next night out with friends in front of a pinball machine.

Check out the Washington State Pinheads Facebook group for local happenings.

Some quick tips for where to start:
Try the Pinball Map app to see where the pinball machines are around you. Then have fun. Weaver and Collins recommend playing Addams Family, Attack From Mars, Cactus Canyon, and Medieval Madness to start.
Then check out a beginner-friendly tournament, such as the Tuesday and Thursday night tournaments at Jupiter in Seattle, or the Tuesday night tournament at 8-Bit in Renton.

Also! The region also boasts a massive, annual pinball convention. The 2025 Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show is June 6-8 at the Tacoma Convention Center.

A few pinball hotspots to try in the Seattle area:
ADD-A-Ball: Hip, artsy spot in Fremont.
Ice Box: All ages spot in Ballard.
Pinball Museum: All ages in the Chinatown-International District. Pay an entrance fee, then all games are free to play. No quarters needed.
Shorty’s: The original pinball joint in Belltown.
Time Warp: Feels like you're playing pinball in a Blade Runner movie, but you’re really in Capitol Hill.
Triple Knock: Skeletons hang from the ceiling and mock you at this Tacoma pinball bar.

And for a transit-friendly pin crawl in Seattle:

Take the 40 bus ,which stops at or near almost all of the Seattle pinball places listed above!

Other events to check out:

Kevin Diers Benefit Show, May 23, El Corazon Seattle

HONK! Fest West, May 30-June 1, Georgetown & Columbia City

Kent Nerd Party, June 7, Downtown Kent

Have you checked out an event we recommended? Tell us how it went! Leave us a message at 206-221-6100. Drop us a line at meetmehere@kuow.org.

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This week we’re hitting the books with Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan. The internationally-best selling author rips open the world of the wealthy and indulges us all us in some behind the scenes bits on his latest book Lies and Weddings. Kevin and Katie talk about the benefits of being an outsider, reality television show Below Deck, luxury resort gossip, and his motive behind satirizing the ultra-rich.

So, push this book to the front of your TBR pile because Kevin Kwan is on tour and he'll be at Town Hall Seattle on May 29th

And… if you need some help filling that post-reading void. Here’s Kevin and Katie’s Recommended If You Liked (RIYL): Lies and Weddings:

• The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
• Piglet by Lottie Hazell

Other event recommendations from this week’s episode:

• Author Caitlin Starling talks “The Starving Saints” on May 22nd
• Thriftapalooza on June 7th and 8th
• The Bushwick Book Club on Jun 14, 2025

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region? Drop us a line at meetmehere@kuow.org or leave us a voicemail at 206-221-6100.

Your support helps create shows like Seattle Now, Soundside, Booming, and Meet Me Here!

Become a KUOW member today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Seattle International Film Festival, or SIFF, runs from May 15-25 with a limited streaming option from May 26-June 1. And it's a big festival! 245 films will be screened over the 10-day festival. This is a movie-lover's dream. But also - a literal impossibility to see every single film on offer. So how do you pick what to see?

The Stranger 's arts editor Emily Nokes oversaw production of The Stranger’s guide to SIFF ; she and a team of staff and freelancers screened and wrote mini-reviews for more than 100 festival films. Emily will walk us through three different approaches to enjoying SIFF without experiencing FOMO or decision fatigue.

Tip: Arrive early to the shows. SIFF suggests showing up 10 minutes before show time but it’s best to arrive even earlier.

Tip: Be on the lookout for two “secret movies” at SIFF this year. We’re not sure what that means, but it sounds intriguing.

Here are a few SIFF-related things Emily mentions in this episode:

• Watching the SIFF showing of the 1982 Jim Henson fantasy adventure, The Dark Crystal, with a live soundtrack from DJ NicFit
• Emily recommends the documentary Cat Town, USA, which is about an aging Florida couple who run a retirement village for elderly cats out of their house.
• Grabbing a bite at The Sitting Room in Lower Queen Anne and/or Dick’s Drive-In for the french fries for sustenance while watching films.

You can also check out SIFF’s interactive flipbook to see what films spark your curiosity. This 64-page digital program includes the full film lineup.

Other event recommendations from this week’s episode:

• Kendrick Lamar and SZA at Lumen Field, May 17
• Brandon Vosika at The Factory, May 8- 11
• Laughs in Spanish at Seattle Rep, April 17-May 17

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region?Give us a call at 206-221-6100 or drop us a line at meetmehere@kuow.org.

Your support helps create shows like Seattle Now, Soundside, Booming, and Meet Me Here!

Become a KUOW member today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.