The Carmel Pokémon Show closes out 2026 at American Legion Post 155 on Sunday, December 20, 2026 — five days before Christmas, and by a wide margin the busiest Pokemon shopping day of the year in Hamilton County. If there is a card, a sealed box or a piece of merchandise on someone's list, this room is where you find it without paying a scalper's markup or gambling on a retail restock. Dealers know exactly what this date is and stock accordingly.
The floor is trading-card-game-first throughout. Vintage Pokemon sellers bring Wizards of the Coast era material — Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket, Gym and Neo — raw and graded, with shadowless and first-edition cards in the locked cases. Modern inventory spans Sword & Shield through current Scarlet & Violet releases, with alt arts, special illustration rares, full arts, gold cards and sealed product including elite trainer boxes, booster bundles and collection tins. Japanese imports are a genuine strength: loose boosters, sealed boxes and promos with no English printing, which make distinctive gifts. Beyond Pokemon expect One Piece Card Game, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Super Card Game and Digimon on dedicated tables. Accessory vendors carry sleeves, playmats, binders, deck boxes, one-touches and storage — typically cheaper here than online once shipping is counted, and a safe gift for any player. Plushies, pins, Funko Pops and custom artwork round it out, and the bulk bins stay stocked so kids with pocket money are not left out.
Hours run 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Eastern. Admission is free and parking in the legion lot is free. Children attend free and make up a large share of the room; dealers are patient with young collectors and free-card buckets at the ends of tables are common.
American Legion Post 155 is at 852 West Main Street, Carmel, IN 46032, in old-town Carmel near the Monon Trail. Access from US 31, Keystone Parkway and Meridian Street is easy, about fifteen minutes from Fishers, Westfield, Zionsville or north Indianapolis. The hall is single-level, heated and ADA accessible, with a bar area serving drinks and light food. Downtown Carmel's holiday lighting and Main Street restaurants make this an easy show to pair with an afternoon out.
Gift shoppers are the dominant audience on this date, but competitive players still come for singles ahead of winter League Cups, and investors work the graded cases where year-end sellers negotiate more readily than at any other point on the calendar.
Arrive at 9:00 AM. Sealed product is the first thing to disappear on December 20 and it does not get restocked. Bring cash in small bills — TCG dealers lean cash-heavy though most accept Venmo. If you are buying gifts, set a budget and ask a dealer to build a lot rather than picking singles; it is cheaper, faster and usually produces a better result. Bring sleeves and a binder or top loaders for the drive home, and check sold comps on anything over about a hundred dollars. Text Ryan at 317-586-9982 for tables or the 2027 schedule.