Kalamazoo Welcomes Its First Retro Gaming Expo This August

This year, Kalamazoo will host the first-ever Michigan Retro Gaming Expo, happening August 29 at the Delta Hotels Marriott at 2747 S. 11th St. in Kalamazoo.

This was a concept that was thought up by gamers in Southwest Michigan, who, only recently, were able to bring it to fruition.

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Tickets are now on sale, with kids five and under getting in for free. Kids admission is $15, and general admission is $20, and there is a $60 VIP admission, which comes with an exclusive thank you swag bag with an NES controller, decal, coaster, bracelet, lanyard, as well as VIP exclusive items, including a 2026 arcade shirt etched Tumblr, tote bag, and more.

How Was The Michigan Retro Gaming Expo Conceptualized?

According to their website, it started from a simple discussion:

MRGE with a question between Kris from the YouTube channel GameDad Show and Jay from the YouTube channel Square Pegs: “How would you run a convention?” After attending numerous shows together and seeing things they loved and things they felt they could improve upon, they started a shared document to jot ideas down on, and promptly forgot about it.

Even though it's a retro expo, there are many more than retro games that are expected to be there:

From your favorite retro games like PAC-MAN, Super Mario Bros., and Bonk’s Adventure to today's hits like Death Stranding, Mario Kart World, and FORZA Horizon 5, this is a convention founded by gamers and for gamers. And it doesn’t stop with video games - we’ll also have tabletop gaming, board games, POGs, and CCGs, because ALL games are worth celebrating.