It’s been a few years since I’ve been able to make it to Vintage Computer Festival Midwest (VCFMW), but this year I finally returned. The last time I went was about five years ago, and I was amazed at just how much the event has grown — not just in size, but in spirit. With over 200 vendors and exhibitors filling the hall, plus the legendary free pile, VCFMW has become a must-visit event for vintage computing fans. I couldn’t possibly cover everything I saw in one post, but here are a few rare highlights and free pile treasures that stood out.

What makes VCFMW Special?

For those who haven’t attended before, VCFMW is a unique blend of museum, flea market, and tech conference — all rolled into one. Here are just a few of the things you’ll encounter:

• Exhibits – Enthusiasts bring in everything from early minicomputers to obscure home micros, often running with original software and hardware add-ons.
• Vendors – Rows of tables filled with parts, peripherals, manuals, and rare machines for sale.
• Talks & Panels – Informative sessions where experts share restoration techniques, history, and personal stories.
• Keynotes & Special Guests – Industry veterans and notable figures in computing history often take the stage.
• Auction – A lively event where unusual hardware and ephemera find new homes.
• The Free Pile – Exactly what it sounds like — a chaotic but fun chance to dig through and maybe discover a hidden gem.

Whether you’re into collecting, restoring, or just exploring the history of computing, the festival has something for everyone.

Highlights From This Year

There’s no way to capture everything I experienced at VCFMW in a single post — with hundreds of exhibits filling the hall, it was impossible to take it all in. You really need to attend to appreciate it, but here are a few of the highlights that stood out to me.

Cyberamic Control Center – 1977

One of the most unusual exhibits on display was the Cyberamic Control Center, originally built for Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater in the late 1970s.

Designed by Atari, this system was an animatronics control computer that drove the famous singing and dancing stage shows featuring characters like Dolli Dimples, The Beach Bowzers, The Beagles, The King, and the main Balcony Stage.

The setup included:

• A TEAC X7R stereo tape deck, modified so that one track held show audio while another carried digital data at 4800 baud.
• A card cage computer powered by a 6502 CPU, with support for audio processing, tape control, and up to 14 solenoids or 16 lights per card to drive the animatronics and stage effects.
• External power supply and front panel for control.

Even after the bankruptcy of Pizza Time Theatre in the mid-1980s, many of these systems were upgraded with newer processors and video media formats, evolving from SVHS to DVD in their final form.

It was a fascinating reminder of how much creativity and custom engineering went into blending computing with entertainment in the early days of arcade culture.

Windows 95 Special Edition

One of the more surprising items I spotted at VCFMW was a Windows 95 Special Edition box — with “William H. Gates” written on the top.

According to a write-up by Kevin Street, Microsoft handed out exactly 3,000 of these Special Edition boxes at a launch event held on August 24, 1995, at its Redmond campus. Because they were distributed to press, partners, and event attendees—not sold in stores—they are significantly rarer than the regular retail Windows 95 boxes.

Inside you’d find a Windows 95 upgrade CD, a printed owner’s manual, a “Launch95” intro insert, and a Microsoft Network leaflet. But the software itself was the same as retail — the uniqueness is really in the packaging and the event provenance.

It was fun to see one of these in the wild, especially with a signature — authentic or not, it made for a striking display. At BitHistory.org, we have a Windows 95 Special Edition box in our collection, though ours doesn’t have a signature. Still, spotting this one was a nice reminder of the excitement around the launch of Windows 95, and how special promotional items like this can become collector’s treasures over time.

Creative Vendors and Original Creations

One of the booths that really stood out this year was an artist selling their own prints of vintage computer and gaming hardware. From Commodore systems to classic controllers, the artwork brought a colorful, modern style to machines and accessories many of us grew up with. It was a reminder that vintage computing isn’t just about preservation — it inspires creativity in all kinds of ways.

This was just one example of the many vendors at VCFMW who showcase self-made creations. Alongside traditional tables full of rare parts and old machines, you’ll find makers offering:

• Custom hardware add-ons and modern replacements for retro systems
• Homebrew software and utilities to keep vintage platforms alive
• Creative gadgets and mods that blend old and new tech
• Artistic takes on computer history, like paintings, prints, and themed collectibles

Seeing the community’s imagination on display is part of what makes the vendor area so much fun — it’s not just a swap meet, but a living ecosystem of people keeping the spirit of old machines alive in new and inventive ways.

Additions to the BitHistory Collection

Of course, no trip to VCF Midwest would be complete without bringing home some treasures for the archive. This year’s haul was a mix of hardware, software, and documentation — all things that will either slot directly into the collection or be digitized and shared with the wider community:

• Apple II Add-in Cards – Expansion hardware that shows just how versatile the Apple II platform became in its heyday.
• Merlin Magix PBX System – A piece of telecom history, representing the crossover between computing and business communications.
• 30+ Issues of Nibble Magazine – One of the most influential Apple II publications of the 1980s, filled with type-in programs, tutorials, and commentary.
• Assorted Apple II Disks – More original media to preserve and image for long-term access.
• Stacks of Vintage Magazines – Covering multiple platforms, providing valuable snapshots of the industry as it evolved.
• Micah Hard Drive for Early Macintosh Systems – A rare peripheral that gave Macs much-needed storage at a time when hard drives were anything but common.
• Pocket Reference Guides – General computing and IBM quick-reference manuals that show the way users and technicians interacted with their systems day to day.
• And a Whole Lot More – As always, the boxes and bags filled up quickly with odds and ends that will take weeks to properly sort, catalog, and preserve.

A fun sticker I spotted read ‘Straight out of the free pile’ — and it couldn’t be more accurate. Many of the magazines, disks, and reference guides we’ll be archiving and sharing actually came from the free pile. What might have been discarded is now saved, preserved, and made accessible for others to enjoy.

Learn More and Join the Fun

If this post has piqued your interest, you can find out more about Vintage Computer Festival Midwest — including dates for the next show — by visiting the official site at vcfmw.org.

VCF Midwest is just one part of a larger family of Vintage Computer Festivals held around the world, from the East and West Coasts of the U.S. to Europe and beyond. Each festival has its own flavor, but all of them celebrate the history, preservation, and enjoyment of classic computing.

If you’ve ever wanted to relive the machines of your youth, learn something new, or connect with others who share a love for computing history, a VCF event is the perfect place to start. Check out our Find An Event! section for a full list of upcoming Vintage Computer Festivals, as well as other events, worldwide.

We hope to see you at a future event!