Date: March 28th - 30th, 2014
Location: Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco, 7600 John Q Hammond Drive, Frisco, TX 75034, USA.

The Texas Pinball Festival has a new home this year. After several years at the Hilton in Grapevine, it moved to the Hilton Anatole last year, but the hotel there didn't seem too keen on having a bunch of pinballers running riot around their cultured premises.

So this year we are further out of Dallas in the city of Frisco in another Hilton property - the Embassy Suites next to the stadium for the Texas Rangers minor-league affliate, the Frisco RoughRiders.

The Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco, home of the TPF 2014

The show doesn't actually start until Friday afternoon, but Pinball News had a sneak preview of the new show hall which we're bringing you here.

The entrance to the show hall

The new hall is much improved on last year's, with more attractive decor and a seminar room right next door to the show hall.

Inside the hall for set-up

On Thursday night, a number of machines had arrived and were being set up for the opening of the show at 5pm on Friday afternoon, with many more to come.

Some of the machines on Thursday evening

Machines and their legs - separate now, but not for long

By Friday morning the numbers had swelled

More machines were arriving by the minute.

At the unloading bay

Plenty more will be available by the time the show opens

Two Metallica LE machines are here

And they weren't the only new-in-box games here

Later on Thursday night two additional new machines had arrived.

Planetary Pinball Supply's Medieval Madness remake

They were easily identifiable by the lack of a Williams logo in the artwork
when compared to an original machines (bottom)

No surprises on the underside

But no warning notice on the back of the backbox yet

The tournament area includes two Star Trek machines, two Mustangs, two Metallicas, two Medieval Madnesses, and two pairs of classic Stern titles - Stargazer and Seawitch.

Tournament machines

Two new Mustang machines

The classic Sterns

More 'classic' tournament machines

Trophies in the Kids Tournament

Plaques for the other tournaments

On the vendor stands, it looks like an interesting selection of neons will be available to buy,

Lots of neon signs

Anti-reflective glass and totally-reflective mirror blades will also be available to buy.

Less reflection

More reflection

X-Pin and CoinTaker both have stands at the show. The X-Pin stand is right at the front and hard to miss, while CoinTaker are in the centre of the hall. Rob Anthony is set up in a side room and is easy to miss if you don't venture round the side of the hall.

Rob Anthony's room

The CoinTaker stand

Someone seems to have dumped this DeLorean here - it's like the show has gone Back to the Future!

Everyone who brought machines to the Texas Pinball Festival is invited to leave a comment.

Have your say!

The top prize in the raffle is traditionally a brand new Stern pinball, and this year is no different.

Win a Star Trek

Outside the hall, the main registration desk is going to have a busy day handing out registration packs and selling entry tickets.

The main registration desk

Next door, any last minute business needs are catered for

The first seminars take place later Friday and we'll be there to report on them. The seminars room is looking good already.

The seminars room

To help promote the show to Dallas-area residents, the local Fox affiliate was at the show early Friday morning to report for the breakfast show.

Paul is interviewed for the local breakfast TV show

We'll be back with much more from the Texas Pinball Festival over the weekend, so keep checking back for all the latest updates.

© Pinball News 2014