Card Show Weekend Preview May 16 and 17: Collect-A-Con Phoenix, Tri-Star Houston, Mile High Pokemon Expo, and LA Card Expo Headline
Four major regional events plus dozens of smaller shows are running this Saturday and Sunday. Collect-A-Con Phoenix, Tri-Star at NRG Center in Houston, the new Mile High Pokemon and TCG Expo in Denver, and the LA Card Expo in Woodland Hills all open their doors. Here is what to expect and how to plan.
It's the third weekend of May and the convention calendar is loaded. Four major regional events plus dozens of smaller weekend shows are running Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, 2026, with something for sports collectors, Pokemon players, TCG dealers, and pop-culture fans alike. Here's where to be and what to expect.
The Big Four This Weekend
Collect-A-Con Phoenix — WestWorld of Scottsdale, AZ
The nation's largest traveling trading card and pop culture convention rolls into WestWorld of Scottsdale for both Saturday and Sunday. Collect-A-Con built its reputation on a packed mix of sports cards, Pokemon and TCG vendors, celebrity guests, breakers running live on the floor, and exclusive promo cards distributed throughout the weekend. Expect lines at the door at open and a heavy Pokemon presence — Phoenix has been one of the strongest TCG-Pocket-era cities for in-person trading.
Tri-Star Collectors Show — NRG Center, Houston, TX
Three full days, Friday through Sunday, of one of the most respected regional conventions in the country. Tri-Star Productions has shaped the Texas sports collectibles scene for more than four decades, and the NRG Center setup gives the show real scale — hundreds of dealers, an active autograph guest list, and a strong vintage presence that makes it a destination for set-builders and high-end buyers. Houston in May means walking out into 90-degree weather, but the convention floor is the place to be if vintage baseball and football are your lane.
Mile High Pokemon and TCG Expo — Gaylord Rockies, Denver, CO
Brand-new to the calendar this year and being billed as the most comprehensive Pokemon and trading card game event ever held in Colorado. Saturday and Sunday at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center. The expo is structured exclusively around TCG players and collectors — dedicated vendors, sanctioned tournaments, trading meetups, and special guests. If you're a Pokemon-first collector who has been priced out of the bigger national shows, this is the kind of focused event where you can actually find what you're hunting for without elbowing through a sports-heavy floor.
LA Card Expo — Warner Center Marriott, Woodland Hills, CA
One of SoCal's most well-attended card shows returns for another two-day weekend. The Warner Center Marriott setup keeps things tight — dealer count is high relative to floor space — which historically translates into busier table negotiations and a stronger trading culture than you get at the bigger arena-style shows. Strong Lakers, Dodgers, and Pokemon dealer presence is the usual story here.
Regional Shows Worth Knowing About
Outside the headliners, there are dozens of smaller weekend shows running across the country. A non-exhaustive sample:
- Woodbridge Card Show — Saturday, New Jersey
- Sunday shows across New York, Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida
- Multiple smaller weekly shops and meetups in the Midwest
For a full list filtered to your state and date, the Card Show Finder events page is updated daily and will show you what's within driving distance.
What to Bring and How to Plan
- Cash is still king — bring more than you think you need, and small bills move faster than hundreds at table negotiations
- Show up at door open — the best singles, especially recently released Bowman and Chaos Rising prerelease pulls, won't last past the first two hours
- Bring your wantlist, not just a budget — focused buying always beats wandering
- If you're carrying valuable singles to trade, bring a binder or one-touch with insurance protection, not loose cards in a backpack
The Card Shop Finder tip: Both Collect-A-Con Phoenix and the Mile High Expo are going to be heavily Pokemon-focused this weekend, which means it's also a great window for sports collectors to find motivated sellers on the sports side. Mixed-genre shows can be the most efficient for buying when you're not the demographic everyone is competing for.
Wherever you end up, bring cash, bring a checklist, and bring patience. The card show year is just hitting its stride.