Have you ever wanted to play pinball but felt overwhelmed by all the flashing lights and loud noises? Introducing ‘Pinclusive’ – a sensory-friendlier way to engage.

Pinfest, Australia’s longest running pinball festival, is on again next weekend and the organisers want to make the fun of playing pinball accessible to everyone.

Trialling sensory-friendlier sessions for the very first time, event organiser Newcastle Pinball Association (NPA) says they have taken inspiration from sensory shopping sessions at supermarkets, ‘This will definitely be a learning experience for us, but we are hopeful that this will be the beginning of something special’.

To foster a more welcoming environment for people with sensory sensitivities they are making the following ‘Pinclusive’ accommodations:
* Sessions are held in a smaller room away from the bustle and noise of the main event;
* Start time is 1 hour after the main session start time so the bulk of the crowd will have filtered inside the main event room before ‘Pinclusive’ attendees arrive;
* Session times are limited to one hour and tickets are strictly limited to 20, including tickets for carers, so as to not over-crowd the room;
* Room lighting will be lowered and game volumes reduced as much as possible.

Entry to ‘Pinclusive” sessions is FREE OF CHARGE but tickets are strictly limited and registration is essential. 14 pinball machines will be available and set to free play. All ages welcome.

WHEN: Saturday 20 September 2025
TIME: Session 1 – 10:30am to 11:30am OR Session 2 – 3:00pm to 4:00pm
WHERE: Club Macquarie, 458 Lake Rd, Argenton.

NPA acknowledge you know your personal needs better than they do. Please help them make it more enjoyable for you by bringing items you feel you’ll need for comfort, such as fidget toys, sunglasses if sensitive to light, or headphones if sensitive to noise.

Unfortunately, no space is available at the venue to offer a ‘Chill Zone’ or a ‘Time Out Corner’ separate from the room. If you need a time out, going outside to get away from the event is suggested. You may exit and re-enter as many times as you like during the session time.

If these sessions appeal to you and you’d like a ticket, or you have questions, please reach out to NPA member Clint via email at clint.starrett@gmail.com

Pinfest 2022 Charitable donation

Did you know each year we give all the profits from Pinfest to a local charity?

This year, the Newcastle Pinball Association will be donating the proceeds from Pinfest 2022 to Friends of Palliative Care Inc. and we are proud to be contributing to this worthy cause. AMD, our major sponsor, have generously offered to add a donation of their own.

Friends of Palliative Care is an organisation dedicated to promoting community awareness of palliative care services, helping people living with life-limiting illnesses, and providing much needed support to patients, family, and carers.

Established in 1986, this organisation is run by a passionate and dedicated team of volunteers. They receive no government funding and rely entirely on donations from the community to operate. Working to support their local specialist palliative care service they are able to connect with the people most in need of help across Maitland, Kurri Kurri, Cessnock, Singleton, Dungog and the surrounding areas.

They provide loans of specialist equipment such as electric beds, bed sticks, hospital bed tables, hoists and slings, specialised pressure care mattresses, pressure cushions and many other items. They also provide some financial aid taking care of pharmacy bills and other expenses, and they help finance professional development and education for specialist palliative care staff.

Friends of Palliative Care provide a very important service. Having access to an essential piece of equipment like an electric bed can make the difference between being able to die at home surrounded by familiar things, your pets, and your loved ones or having to spend your last days in a hospital environment.

By coming to Pinfest you will help support this organisation. Find out more on the Friends of Palliative Care Inc Facebook page.

This year it was decided that we wanted something different for the poster after having what was essentially the same poster for the last 7 years. That decision was easy, but what could we do?

We asked Mark of Tippettures if he’d be willing to help us out and he pretty much said, “I’m in” before we had the question out. Mark gave us a quick sketch of a concept in no time at all and we all loved the idea and he went about the task of creating us the best looking and most unique Pinfest artwork we’ve seen.

We mean it when we say thank you Mark.

Find out more about Tippettures and in the following locations:
http://www.tippettures.com.au/caricatures.html
https://www.facebook.com/tippettures.caricatures
https://www.instagram.com/tippettures
https://www.pinterest.com.au/tippettures/tippettures/