Hello Belles!

We had an amazing turnout for our November meetup Wednesday at Aftershock Classic Arcade! With 20 participants, including five first-timers, it was an exciting night filled with competitive energy and new faces. A huge thank-you to Aftershock for hosting us and providing those delicious hot pretzels!

Winners’ Circle

We played six rounds of group match play, wrapping up with a thrilling final on Monster Bash. Congratulations to our top players:

1st: Erin

2nd: Cora (welcome to the group!)

3rd: Alley

4th: Brooke

Alley, if you’d like your trophy before the next meetup, please reach out!

A special shoutout to Donelle, Stacie, Shay, and Joanne (not pictured), who each won $5 worth of tokens, thanks to Aftershock’s generosity!

Save the Date!

Mark your calendars for our final event of the year on Wednesday, December 11th! We’re finalizing the location and working with John and Adam at NerdHaven, who are balancing family commitments and currently open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only. Keep an eye out for updates, and please support NerdHaven when you can!

News, Announcements, and Reminders

IFPA Tournament Reminder – If you’re interested in participating in the IFPA tournaments (both Open and Women’s), please remember to register on their page. Unregistered players will not be able to enter, even if they qualify. Several Belles currently qualify, and a few more are just below the line that may get invited, so don’t miss out!

Madison Youth Pinball – The Madison Youth Pinball group will hold its second meetup on Saturday, November 23, at 11 AM at Kickback. You may even see some friendly faces for Belles helping out. If you’d like to help with the event, please reach out, and we’ll connect you with the right contacts.

Check out what Andreas has created!  Belles & Chimes uses MatchPlay for our platform to run our tournaments.  Now you can adorn your Match Play profile with a collection of pride flags! Andreas finally found a nice set of pride flags to offer in addition to the national flags. You’ll find the pride flag section after the national flags, but before the US state flags.  Yeah for adding flare to the pinball community!! 

Looking forward to seeing everyone for a fantastic December meetup!

Cheers,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team

Hello Belles!

First, we (Tiffany and Jacque) want to express how deeply grateful we are for each of you and for the Belles & Chimes community, which has become such a meaningful part of our lives. Now, more than ever, spaces like ours are vital. Our community is here with open arms, offering a safe and welcoming place for women, LGBTQ+ members, BIPOC, those with disabilities, and all who find themselves underrepresented.

Despite the recent election outcome, which has been tough for many of us, Belles & Chimes remains a sanctuary for anyone who feels marginalized or “different.” Together, we can continue to create a safe and supportive space. Let’s channel our energy toward what we can control, starting with our community and extending to actions that strengthen our local presence and work toward positive change.

Thank you for being here, for embracing each other, and for making Belles a beacon of love and acceptance. Let’s not let this overshadow the joy and connection we share—starting with a look back at our latest pingolf tournament!

After our Pingolf and X-Men Launch Party at Kickback, we’re still buzzing from excitement! For those who missed it, we had an amazing time with a 9-hole Pingolf challenge and a fierce X-Men playoff. Check out the recap below!

For our next meetup, we’ll be gathering at Aftershock Classic Arcade for another fun night of flippers, friends, and competition. Bring a friend, and don’t hesitate to invite new faces to join the fun! 

Event Details

Date: November 13, 2024

Location: Aftershock Classic Arcade

Time: Registration opens at 6PM, gameplay start at 6:30PM

Cost: $5 Entry Fee + coin drop

Theme: The 13th is World Kindness Day. If you have a shirt that has a kind message on it, wear it!

You can find Aftershock’s list of games on their website or check the Pinball Map.

Nov 3rd Event Recap – X-Men Launch & Pingolf Fun!

For those who joined us at the Kickback for our first pingolf tournament, thank you! We had a fantastic evening trying out a 9-hole pingolf course and celebrating the X-Men launch. Special shoutouts to our top players in the X-Men playoff:

X-Men Plaque Winner: Mary

2nd Place: Courtney, who snagged the translate

3rd Place: Erin, who scored a comic

4th Place: Sara, who we thank her for helping us during the event!

Congratulations to Lainy and Aimee for winning free vouchers from Kickback. And a big roar for Godzilla’s 70th birthday that night.

Pinball Tips – Theater of Magic – Skill Shot Basics

For a skill shot on the first plunge, watch the display and plunge when your desired award appears. Awards include:

• 10M or 20M points
• 2x Bonus
• Advance Clock (2 hours)
• Begin Illusion (if not already lit) or 2x Combo (if Illusion is lit)

Aim for the trunk’s hole to complete the skill shot, get the reward, and add to your end-of-ball bonus.

Pinball News & Announcements

Image from Madison Youth Pinball Facebook Page

• Madison Youth Pinball Group is launching! Meeting 1-2 times a month, this group will encourage children 7-17 to learn the basics of pinball. They had over 20 kids during their first event!
• New Monthly Pingolf at Kickback! Kickback will be hosting open (co-ed) pingolf tournaments on the last Sunday of each month. Perfect chance to get a group and play with them the whole day.
• New Tournaments at Aftershock! Erin will soon be hosting regular pinball tournaments at Aftershock–stay tuned for more details on dates and formats.
• Kickback’s Grand Opening Celebration on November 16 will feature a full day of events including a pinball tournament! Swing by to check out the festivities and support this great local spot. 

Looking forward to seeing you all at Aftershock November 13th. Let’s make it a night to remember with good company, great games, and lots of laughs.

Cheers,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team

The Kickback Bar – Save the Date for a Sunday Tee Time!

Hey Belles,

We had an awesome time at The Kickback for the first time, with 17 players, including 2 new faces! A big shout out to The Kickback for being such fantastic hosts and to Hidden Cave for providing us with some great prizes. The Kickback even had the brand-new Uncanny X-Men release, which we hope you all got to try at least once!

Winners’ Circle

Our top 4 players—Mary, Lauren, Brooke, and Alley—battled it out on X-Men, and after some epic flipper action, the final standings were:
Mary
Lauren
Brooke

Only the top 3 received trophies, but great job to Alley for making it to the final round!

In the other groups, congratulations to Donelle, Elise, Melissa, and Stacie, who each won a Hidden Cave Cidery gift card. Enjoy those delicious prizes!

Save the Date!

We’ve got two events coming up next month that you won’t want to miss!

• Sunday, November 3rd: We’re hosting a special Uncanny X-Men Release Party at The Kickback, featuring Pin-Golf Qualifying! We’ll likely kick things off around 12 PM, but stay tuned for more details. If you’re new to Pin-Golf, the goal is to hit a target score within your three balls. The number of “strokes” you get depends on which ball you hit the target or your final score if you don’t reach it. List of games here.
• Wednesday, November 13th: We’ll be back at Aftershock Classic Arcade for our regularly scheduled monthly event. Be sure to check out their game list on their website for some pinball practice beforehand!

You can find other pinball events in the Madison area by subscribing to our Google Calendar or visiting our website.

Pinball News – Halloween Kickback Nine, Pinball Expo, State Championships

Can’t get enough pinball at The Kickback. Our dear Sara is going to be in town with her fiancé Ryan to host a co-ed (Open) Pingolf event that also serves as an X-Men Release Party. Costumes encouraged! You don’t want to miss this event as there will be some great Stern prizes up for grabs.

Pinball Expo Reminder – Also a quick reminder that the Pinball Expo and Video Game Summit is this weekend near Chicago! They have multiple tournaments happening including a Women’s Division. You can find the expo schedule on their website and register yourself on the Drain Tournament Manager if you plan on participating in any of the tournaments. Good luck to anyone who is participating!

Championships Reminder – Speaking of tournaments, we’re getting really close to the end of the year when it’s time to prepare for Championship season. As one of the few women’s events in Wisconsin, it is likely there will be multiple Madison Belle’s participants eligible to play in the IFPA Women’s State Championships. For this year, the top 8 women of open tournaments  and the top 8 of the women’s only tournaments will be qualified to play the state championships. If you qualify, you MUST register with IFPA here if you want to participate. You can find more information on the Women’s North America Championship Series here.

Announcement – Roller Derby

Roller derby fans, rejoice! The Madison Roller Derby (MRD) winter season is here, and their next event is on Saturday, October 19th. Make sure to follow MRD to stay up to date on their events this season. And don’t forget to cheer on our very own Jo out on the field!

Thanks for reading, Belles! Keep flippin’ and we’ll see you at the next event!

Hey Belles!,

Just a quick follow-up on our epic night at Double Tap Madison! We had 9 players in total, including 3 awesome newbies who jumped right into the action. Huge shoutout to Dori and Tiffany for getting everyone setup with tap cards and covering the games.

If you haven’t been to Double Tap Madison yet, we suggest you take a look. Not only were their nerdy-themed drinks tasty, the pinball setup was pretty cozy. Machines were in their own corner with tables and chairs nearby, making it easy to relax between rounds. While some machines had tight tilt bobbers, we all enjoyed the space and felt the layout was perfect for our group. Definitely recommend checking it out!

Winners’ Circle

Congrats to our top 4: Alley, Dori, Leah, and Tiffany! They battled it out on Jaws with 3 intense rounds to crown the night’s champ. And let’s not forget another highlight–Dori absolutely crushed it on Star Wars, scoring over a billion points on ball 1 and claiming Grand Champion on the machine.

Save the Date!

For our next event on October 19th, we’ll be playing at The Kickbar Bar for the first time! There are over 40 machines and they come from the Craft Beer Pinball League router. You’re sure to find one of your favorites there! Can’t wait to see you all there!

You can find other pinball events in the Madison area by subscribing to our Google Calendar or visiting our website.

Announcement

One last reminder that Tiffany is participating in Madison (technically Middleton) Walk to End Lupus Now on September 28th. Feel free to join her walking team “Flippin’ Lupus!” or donate by using this link!

Pinball News – Pinball Expo + Video Game Summit

Images from pinballexpo.com

The Pinball Expo in Chicago is returning from October 15-19 and it’s combining forces with the Video Game Summit for an unforgettable retro arcade experience.

For those unfamiliar with the Pinball Expo, it is one of the largest and most celebrated pinball events globally. It’s a haven for pinball fans, featuring an incredible array of pinball machines, seminars, and opportunities to meet other enthusiasts. This year, the event is even more exciting with a retro arcade theme, promising a blast from the past with plenty of games to play.

In addition to the vast selection of machines, there will be various tournaments, including a  women’s division. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just looking to have some fun, there’s something for everyone at this amazing event.

Don’t miss out on the chance to immerse yourself in the world of pinball and video games! It’s going to be an epic celebration of all things arcade!

By the way, there is a Belles & Chimes Worldwide t-shirt you can pre-order. You can either have it shipped to you or pick it up at the expo. Find the t-shirt here.

Thanks again to everyone who came out. Looking forward to seeing you all at the next meeting – let’s keep the good times rolling!

Flip on,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team

Hey Belles!,

We had a flippin’ fantastic time at NerdHaven Arcade and with 18 of you awesome people showing up (including one fresh face), it was a night to remember!

We were all about celebrating milestones this time–congrats to our newest PhD (you know who you are), the Belle who just tied the knot (Donelle), and the one who saved the day by rescuing a pup (Nichole)! Talk about leveling up in life!

A massive shoutout to Mary for the grate cheese and summer sausages which paired nicely with the wine provided to us from our pals John and Adam. Additional thanks to John and Adam for providing three gift cards to NerdHaven for our winners! Be sure to check out Grab N Grocery on 1511 Williamson Street if you want more of the delicious goods Mary provided us. We know you can get some bomb spring rolls and homebrewed kombucha as well.

Winners’ Circle

In our main final, our Belles duked it out on Black Knight 2000. Sharkey got the gold at the end. Donelle with silver, Erin with bronze, and Jacque with… Copper? In our other groups, Alley, Aimee, and Nia won NerdHaven gift cards.

Our Olympic-themed trophies really brought out the competitive spirit–thanks to everyone who played with such heart and skill!

Save the Date!

For our next event on September 11th, we’re still deciding between a few options, but Double Tap might just be our next stop. Stay tuned for details–it’s going to be a blast either way! 

You can find other pinball events in the Madison area by subscribing to our Google Calendar or visiting our website.

Announcement

During our meet up, Tiffany shared that she is participating in Madison (technically Middleton) Walk to End Lupus Now on September 28th. Feel free to join her walking team “Flippin’ Lupus!” or donate by using this link!

Pinball News – New Venue Kickback

If you haven’t heard the buzz yet, a brand-new bar is about to flip into Middleton, boasting over 30 pinball machines! It will be the new home of the Craft Beer Pinball League. The list of pins and other arcade games is already up on their website.

But that’s not all! They’re planning to host even more fun events like a Skee-Ball League and NBA JAM nights, so you’ll definitely want to stay in the loop. Be sure to click the icons at the bottom of their website to follow their social media pages–you won’t want to miss out on any of the action!

Thanks for making NerdHaven a night full of fun, fantastic flips, and gold-medal moments! Can’t wait to see you all again sooner

Cheers and High Scores,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team

Belles, you all are sparkles!

What a blast of a night we had at Aftershock Classic Arcade for our monthly IFPA tournament during their Shark Week! This was our first time hosting an IFPA tournament at Aftershock, and it was a memorable experience. We had 17 enthusiastic players, including one returning Belles and a brand-new Belles, who brought along a cheering squad with a supportive poster!

Aftershock went above and beyond spoiling us with gift certificates for free tokens and a beer for a future visit. If you missed out on getting a gift certificate, please reach out to us and we’ll make sure you get one.

🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

We played 6 rounds with a finals on Game of Thrones. Mary was on fire throughout the final, but in the end, Erin emerged victorious. Mary secured a close second, with Stacie taking third and Brooke fourth. Besides the coveted homemade trophies, they won a $15 gift card, $10 gift card, and tokens (with a cup) respectively.

A special shoutout to Allison who managed to snag the Grand Champion title on Tales of Arabian Nights.

Way to go everyone!

📅 Save the Date! 📅

Looking ahead, next month’s tournament will be held at NerdHaven Arcade on Aug 14, 2024 6:00 PM. Cost is $5 plus coin drop.

🎉 Pinball News 🎉

Have you been checking in on your monthly Stern Insider Connected quests? The Bastille Day badge deadline is fast approaching! Get the Bastille Day badge by logging into any Stern machine and getting at least 30 million points in a single game. You have until the 14th of July to get it. The Brian Eddy badge is also available until the end of the month. And for those who are fans of John Wick, there are contracts to complete. Log into your Insider Connected account to see more information about quests and contracts.

Cheers,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team

Hey Belles!

What a wild and windy adventure we had at Hidden Cave Cidery in Middleton! Despite the stormy skies (it was almost tornado weather!) 14 of us braved the elements for a night of pinball, cider, and great vibes.

Our first-time meetup at this location was a hit! We had the space all to ourselves, delicious ciders (maybe too many), and a pinball lineup that kept us flipping all night. Special shoutout to our new and returning Belles who joined us from Beaver Dam, Milwaukee, and even Minnesota. Your dedication is legendy! 

In the spirit of Pride Month, it was fantastic to see some of you sporting your pride gear. Our community thrives on diversity and inclusion, and it’s heartwarming to see everyone feeling welcome and celebrated in our space.

”The serious picture…

…and the goofy picture”  

Huge thanks to Walker, the owner of Hidden Cave, for opening up on his day off and treating us to free Ms. Pac-Man quarters. His hospitality made the night even more special. 

Winners’ Circle

We originally planned for 4 rounds, but the pinball fever was strong, and we extended it to 6 rounds by popular demand. Godzilla was the game of choice for the finals. After a few nail-biting games, Donelle took the gold! She was followed by Erin with the silver, Lauren with the bronze, and Alex with the choice of cider. Extra cheers to Donelle for dominating Attack from Mars – you were on fire!

Save the Date!

Our next meet up will be at Aftershock Arcade on Jul 10, 2024 6:00 PM. We flip at 6:30 PM. There is a $5 cash entry fee. Coin drop is needed for the pinball tables. (It is also Shark Week…Aftershock has a lot of fun things to go along with Shark Week.)

You can find other pinball events in the Madison area by subscribing to our Google Calendar or visiting our new website.

Pinball News – Links by the Lake “Belle Bounty”

Image from Links by the Lake’s Facebook Event Page

Since late 2023, our very own Sara Bradley has been co-hosting a fantastic pingolf tournament every 3rd Sunday of the month at NerdHaven Arcade. And guess what? This month they’re introducing an exciting new twist – the “Belle Bounty”.

For each event, Links by the Lake will be rewarding 10% of the prize pool to the top qualifying score among women competitors. How cool is that?! The last tournament in April only had a couple of women-identifying folx, and we’d love to see more Belles out there showing their pinball prowess in these open tournaments.

Not familiar with Links by the Lake’s format? Their pinball format offers a unique opportunity to enjoy pinball with chosen friends. Why? Unlike traditional matchplay scoring of 7/5/3/1 relative to scores, pingolf is all about achieving specific target scores on each machine. It’s you against the machine! However, if you make it to the playoffs, you’re back to playing the traditional match play format.

Get the full scoop by checking out the Official Rulebook here, and join them for an afternoon of thrilling pingolf at NerdHaven. Find the event on facebook here.

Until next time, keep those flippers flippin’ and those ciders sippin’!

Cheers,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team

For over three years, our group has thrived on providing a safe and welcoming environment for women and gender non-conforming individuals to enjoy pinball on the second Wednesday of each month. Our goal has always been to create an inclusive space where everyone feels comfortable and safe. Unfortunately, recent developments with one of our long-time venues, I/O Arcade Bar, have necessitated a change in our plans.

Conflict with I/O Arcade Bar and Madison Pinball

Many of you may have noticed that I/O Arcade Bar, in collaboration with Madison Pinball, has scheduled a new open (co-ed) pinball tournament on the same nights as our events. This decision was made without consulting us first. Additionally, they planned a John Wick launch party on one of our event days in July. This conflicts with our mission to provide a dedicated space away from the male-dominated pinball community.

While Mitch at I/O Arcade Bar has offered to reschedule the launch party and provide us with additional deals, he is unwilling to change the new tournament schedule. This poses a risk of fragmenting our pinball community and undermines our efforts to maintain a safe and inclusive environment.

Moving Forward: Seeking New Venues

Due to these conflicts, we have decided to stop hosting and promoting events at Madison Pinball locations, including I/O Arcade Bar, Schwoeggler’s, and Pooley’s. We are actively seeking other venues in Madison that will respect our league and work collaboratively with the larger pinball community.

How You Can Help

We urge you to make your voices heard. Please consider commenting on the following platforms:

• Madison Pinball Facebook Event Page
• I/O Arcade Bar Facebook Page

Additionally, you can contact Hilton Jones and Sean Spindler directly at Madison Pinball to express your concerns.

Continued Support and Participation

We understand that some of you may still want to participate in the 2nd Wednesday tournaments hosted by I/O Arcade Bar and Madison Pinball. We encourage you to also join us for our Belles & Chimes events. Remember, I/O Arcade Bar continues to host their 4th Wednesday of the month events as well.

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate this transition. We are committed to finding a new venue that aligns with our values and mission. Stay tuned for updates on our new locations and upcoming events.

Happy Mother’s Day Belles!

Thank you to all that were able to make it out to “The Underground Pinball” evening at Lauren’s place. We had an impressive 18 sign up. 1 cheered us on. Thanks Tiffany! We had 3 newbies! Welcome, Jen A, Mary S, and Bridget to Belles and Chimes of Madison! We all were entertained by shiny pinball and 2 cute pitbulls: Bolt and Simba.  Another thank you to Lauren and the others for bringing snacks for all of us to munch on throughout the evening. It was a great variety.  

Winners’ Circle

After six rounds of pinball we had to have a tie breaker for 4th place.  Kathryn, Meghan, and Melissa played one ball on Elviria to see who would battle off with the top 3 winners of the night.  Melissa flipped her way in with Allison, Mary O, and Sharkey and battled it out on Batman 66. Allison came in first place.  Mary O in second place.  Sharkey in third place.  Melissa in fourth place

Congrats Belles!

Save the Date!

Our next meet up will be at Hidden Cave Cidery on Jun 12, 2024 6:00 PM.  There is a $5 cash entry fee.  Coin drop is needed for the pinball tables.

You can find other pinball events in the Madison area by subscribing to our Google Calendar or visiting our new website.

Announcement

You might have noticed that our final round was different from what we have done in the past. For the top four players, they played 3 additional games to determine the final winner. This will help make our tournament have more points for those that are interested in ranking higher in the International Flipper Association.

With that being said, going forward we will no longer be playing Extra Balls. This will allow us to play one more machine per tournament better contributing to these IFPA scores. 

Pinball News

The big news this week is that a new John Wick pinball game from Stern is heading our way.  Craft Beer Pinball League will be adding this game to NerdHaven Arcade in the next few days and we can assume Madison Pinball will also get one out at I/O Arcade Bar. We try to keep our emails to a minimum of upcoming Belles meetups and event recaps so be sure to keep your eyes out for John Wick updates from Craft Beer Pinball League or Madison Pinball on their websites or social media.

Keep those flippers flipping and the silver balls rolling!

Cheers,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team

Hay there Belles!

Last week we gathered at NerdHaven for a rollicking good time amidst the flashing lights and clanging bells of pinball! Our herd numbers 11 strong with a special shoutout to our fresh-faced newbie who joined in on the action! Plus, a round of applause for Ann, who made the trek all the way from Minnesota to flip with us!

🏆 Winners’ Circle 🏆

Despite our smaller flock this month, the competition was as fierce as a fox in a henhouse! We battled it out over six rounds, vying for the coveted farm trophies. After a barnstorming final set on Foo Fighters, Sharkey emerged victorious despite the recovering arm, nabbing first choice of trophy. Meghan and Jacque followed close behind, rounding out our podium of pinball champions!

Let’s not forget our evening’s additional winners: Aimee, Nichole, and Ann, who walked away with NerdHaven gift cards to fuel their next pinball adventures! Bravo, Belles, for keeping the spirit of competition alive and well!

Sorry we missed you Aimee!

Cheers,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team