The VNEA PA State 8-Ball Tournament is back in Erie and scheduled for this weekend. The event is slated to take place Friday–Sunday at the Bayfront Convention Center.
When the tournament was founded more than 40 years ago, it was played in local bars or taverns, but has grown consistently after finding a permanent home in Erie. Now requiring nearly 200 tables, the tournament has been hosted at the Bayfront Convention Center since 2012 and is the fourth-largest 8-ball tournament in the country.
“Pool is a unique sport that can be played in a variety of locations by anyone, and this tournament shows that by drawing in people from all over and with many different backgrounds,” said tournament director Melena Thompson. “This is always an exciting weekend, and I can’t wait to show our competitors the improvements we have in store for them this year.”
“Having an event of this caliber each year as a staple event in Erie is something that we can be proud of,” said Mark Jeanneret, Executive Director of the Erie Sports Commission. “We have worked with the organizers of this event since we started in 2013, and we have watched it grow into one of our largest events year in and year out.”
The VNEA PA State 8-Ball Tournament isn’t the only thing on the table for sports in Erie this weekend. Lake Effect Hockey will host its 2011 AAA Spring Showcase March Friday-Sunday at ERIEBANK Sports Park, showcasing high-level youth hockey talent. Teams will play five games over three days and the event will end with an NHL-style skills competition on Saturday night, with competitions like fastest skater and hardest shot.
Erie Sports Center Volleyball will also continue its run of weekend tournaments with a girls 13U regional on Saturday and a girls 12U regional on Sunday. Both tournaments will take place at the Erie Sports Center.
For more information on these and other events coming to Erie, visit eriesportscommission.com/events.
