Print Date 7.2.2021
By Judy Brenna
I know I mentioned this some time ago, but I will retell. When I was growing up my family had a house in Margate City, right on Cedar Grove, around the corner from Lucy the Elephant. My absolute fondest memories are of my times down the shore. I genuinely don’t remember a time down there when I was ever sad. Except for that time it was pouring outside so my Dad when to the video store down the street from Party Pack and rented Return of The Living Dead II, that left me sleepless for the remainder of the week. I should mention I was 5. Anyhoodles… For the most part, the fondest memories. And one of my most favorite memories were of Showboat. Man, I loved that place! The whole theme of the place was super cool, thinking about it now, I can picture ladies in long dresses and giant hats, twirling parasols, while ragtime music plays softly in the background. I think in hindsight I was always obsessed with all things history, but Showboat was probably a contributing factor. And Showboat offered something no other casino had. I mean, sure, every casino had an arcade ((and to my recollection the one at Caesar’s was pretty cool)) to keep the kids busy while their parents went off to play their adult games ((remember when it was the norm to let your young kids go off somewhere in Atlantic City??)), but Showboat had an area designated specifically for kids. I’ll never forget when they opened and we were sitting around the kitchen table and reading about the kid’s casino and the bowling alley, we all exclaimed “finally! It’s our turn to shine!”. Okay, so maybe we didn’t all say it, but believe me, I thought it… really hard. We had the absolute best time at Showboat.
Which leads me to my next point. Lucky Snake Arcade. Not the best Segway, but allow me some latititude. If you can imagine the grin that formed on my face, much like that iconic moment the Grinch had in The Grinch Whole Stole Christmas, some of you know what I’m talking about, when I read that they were opening an arcade at Showboat. I was instantly transported back to a girl in lopsided pigtails, attempting to masticate a giant Jaw Breaker from Morrow's Nut House, counting the minutes on the clock until we would leave to go. And I was even more pleasantly surprised when I found out exactly what Lucky Snake was all about.
The Lucky Snake Arcade is a massive 85,000 square feet of space, every nook and cranny jammed packed with a ridiculous amount of fun for kids of ALL ages. It is the home to the largest crane game, the coolest collection of pinball machines, and they even have a regulation-sized boxing ring! This place is literally the coolest. Dave and Busters ain’t got nothing on Lucky Snake. From classic 80’s arcade games to throwback boardwalk game staples to virtual reality experiences to everything in between, you will never fall short of entertainment and activities here. I mean, how on earth could you, it’s the largest arcade on the eastern seaboard. It is… an arcade on steroids.
And I didn’t even mention the refreshments. Choose from the five different venues available to you for refueling ((and imbibing)), The 12 Bar, ACE (home of some of the most unique selections of burgers, wings and south of the border fair), and Riviera, right in the center of the arcade game floor. You can also choose from Surf Bar which is right on the boardwalk, and Spirit Bar. Spirit Bar is pretty super because it’s a sports and live entertainment facility, with 10 large screen projectors you can watch while playing games, you can even rent a VIP room or just hang out with friends.
Which leads me to my last point. The GACCA had the ultimate privilege of experiencing a taste of Lucky Snake last week, along with meeting some of the Entertainers from the Super Circus and Cirque Risque. I unfortunately couldn’t make it, and this is one event I will be kicking myself for missing for an exponentially long time. Not only because I didn’t get to relive my youth and play games, but because when I was looking through the photos of the event, I was totally stunned to see that an old friend from college is one of the performers from the Circus! ((hi Elaine!)). The other huge thing I noticed was that every smile in every member’s face in each picture resembled that of a child with utter wonderment. THIS is what Lucky Snake will offer you, a day of wonderment and magic. There is literally no price tag on something like that. The experience you receive at Lucky Snake is priceless if you ask me, which you didn’t, but I’ll say it anyway, because I generally don’t listen. Go to https://www.theluckysnake.com and book your reservation today. You’ll thank me later.
Until next week, folks… #stayjerseystrong!
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