Card Show Weekend April 25-26 2026: Collect-A-Con Chicago, Causeway Boston, Front Row San Diego and More
The April 25-26 weekend is stacked. Collect-A-Con rolls into Chicago, the Causeway Card Show returns to Big Night Live in Boston, Front Row lights up San Diego with 425 tables, and East Bay hits Santa Clara. Here is the full plan.
Five Big Shows, One Weekend
The April 25-26, 2026 weekend is one of the most stacked card show weekends on the spring calendar. From coast to coast, collectors have hundreds of tables to walk across five major metros. Here is the full guide to the shows that matter, plus the hometown shows that are worth a drop-in if you are nearby.
Collect-A-Con Chicago
The biggest draw of the weekend is Collect-A-Con Chicago, which runs both Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, just outside O'Hare. Collect-A-Con is a national tour at this point, and the Chicago stop consistently draws dealers from a dozen-plus states along with the usual crop of athlete signers and streamer break booths.
- Dealer floor runs to the low 400s in table count, with heavy Pokemon, NBA, and vintage representation.
- Autograph signers for the Chicago stop include a mix of current athletes and pop-culture signers. Tickets to the premium autograph sessions are a separate purchase from general admission.
- Breakers row has been a staple of Collect-A-Con events for over a year now, and expect the Chicago show to lean heavily into live break content.
Causeway Card Show, Boston
Saturday and Sunday at Big Night Live in Boston's West End brings the second weekend of the Causeway Card Show's spring run. Doors open at 9:00 a.m. both days, and the venue is directly next door to TD Garden, which is always a draw when the Bruins or Celtics are playing home games.
Causeway has become the default regional show for New England over the past two years. Expect a smaller dealer floor than Chicago but a strong vintage and PWE-friendly vintage and high-end rep.
Front Row Card Show, San Diego
The Pacific coast flagship for the weekend is Front Row Card Show at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego. Saturday runs 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with roughly 425 tables across cards, comics, and broader collectibles.
- Southern California dealer density is a particular strength at Front Row. If you collect Padres, Lakers, or Dodgers vintage, this is the show that consistently delivers strong supply.
- Comics and pop-culture tables make up a meaningful chunk of the floor. It is a cross-over show, not a pure card show.
- Grading on-site has been a Front Row staple for the past several events. Bring cards you actually want to submit, not just raw singles to flip.
East Bay Card Show, Santa Clara
The Bay Area alternative for anyone who does not want to drive south is the East Bay Card Show at the Santa Clara Convention Center. The show runs both days, with Saturday opening at 11:00 a.m. and Sunday wrapping at 5:00 p.m.
East Bay has grown into a legitimate second-tier major over the past several cycles, and it tends to draw a strong West Coast vintage dealer contingent. If you are hunting Giants, A's, Niners, or Warriors cards, the California dealer presence here is unbeatable.
Connecticut and Tri-State Area
Closer to the ground, the tri-state area has its usual Saturday-and-Sunday grind of smaller local shows worth dropping into if you are in the area.
- Trumbull Cards Show at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1734 Huntington Turnpike, Trumbull, CT, Saturday April 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sports Card Show, Norwalk, CT at American Legion Post 12, 60 County Street, Sunday April 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Milford Sports Card and Pokemon Show at the Milford Elks Lodge, 124 New Haven Avenue, Milford, CT, Sunday April 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Small shows keep the hobby's ecosystem healthy. A $5 admission at a church or a VFW is still where most new collectors actually get started.
Tips for a Big Show Weekend
If you are stringing multiple stops together, a little planning goes a long way.
- Hit the big show first, the local show second. Inventory rotates fast at shows like Collect-A-Con and Front Row. Showing up late on day two generally means picked-over cases.
- Bring a buyer's list. With hundreds of tables to walk, having specific players or sets to prioritize keeps your budget from disappearing into impulse buys.
- Cash is still king. Most dealers take Venmo and Zelle, but cash at the table almost always buys you 5 to 10 percent off sticker.