Cards for a Cause turns a Palatine parish gym into a two-day trading card and collectibles show on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026, and every admission dollar goes somewhere useful. Hosted by Dads Driving Change NFP, the event splits its proceeds between St. Theresa and the Dads Driving Change organization, so the entry fee is less a cover charge than a donation that happens to come with a room full of cards attached.
The organizer is planning for up to 80 vendor tables inside the Dolan Center Gym. That is a substantial floor for a community show, and the announced category mix is genuinely broad: Pokemon, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Lorcana on the trading card game side, plus sports cards across the major leagues. Vendors are bringing graded slabs, raw singles and sealed product, so you can compare a slabbed card against a raw copy at the next table over and decide what you actually want to pay for condition. Inventory varies table to table, as it does at every show, but the confirmed category list gives deck builders, player collectors, slab buyers and sealed-product hunters all a reason to walk the room.
Hours differ by day, so plan accordingly. Saturday runs 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM — an eight-hour window and the deeper of the two days. Sunday runs 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Saturday morning gives you the first look at fresh inventory; Sunday afternoon is when vendors are most willing to move on price rather than repack. Collectors who can attend both days often scout Saturday, sleep on the bigger purchases, and close Sunday.
General admission is $5 and children age 8 and under get in free. Every paid admission includes one free raffle ticket, with prizes drawn across the weekend; prize details and drawing times had not been published, so ask at check-in how the drawing works and whether you need to be present. No VIP or early-entry tier has been announced. Ask at the door which payment methods are accepted for admission.
One navigation note worth reading twice: St. Theresa Catholic Church is commonly listed at 455 N Benton St, but the Dolan Center Gym entrance is at 465 N Benton St, Palatine, IL 60067. Use 465 for your GPS and follow on-site signage from there. Event-specific parking instructions were not published, so give yourself a few extra minutes on arrival.
This is a strong family show. Free entry for kids under 9, a gym floor with room to move, and a charitable purpose make it approachable for parents who would rather not drop a hundred dollars before their kid touches a card. Casual collectors, deck-building players and slab buyers all have a lane. Vendors can still inquire about tables at $50 for the full weekend, maximum two per vendor — text Jonathan at 847-863-7204 or email [email protected].
Come with a want list, a spending limit, sleeves and a small box for pickups. Inspect corners, edges, centering and surface before agreeing to a raw price, and ask before pulling anything out of a binder.