Free Play Florida creates a dream arcade for retro and vintage pinball and video game lovers

Before we had Oculus Rifts and internets, we had arcades and quarters. You can celebrate those golden days of video games’ bleep-blooping past at Free Play Florida, a three-day nostalgia trip full of games, guest speakers, tournaments, and at least two or three mountains of nerd merch. The festival features more than 200 classic pinball and arcade games. Meet the big names of the old-school, including Billy Mitchell, the former “King of Kong,” as well as George Lowe, voice of cosmic crusader and Adult Swim icon Space Ghost. And with a $1,000 prize pool awaiting you at the Sunshine Showdown pinball tournament, you could use your winnings to buy that human-sized Pac Man pillow you’ve always wanted.

4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 17-19 | DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld, 10100 International Drive | wp.freeplayflorida.com | $15-$60

This article appears in Nov 8-14, 2017.