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