Game & Geek Expo 2026 lands at the Raleigh Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday, September 5–6, 2026, turning Labor Day weekend into a two-day celebration of gaming and geek culture in downtown Raleigh. With more than 150 vendors in its Mega Marketplace plus arcades, esports, tournaments, and panels, this is the Triangle's biggest crossover event between video gaming and the trading card hobby — and a legitimately strong card show hiding inside a gaming convention.
The Mega Marketplace is where collectors should head first: over 150 gaming and geek vendors selling retro and modern video games, consoles, TCGs, anime merchandise, pop culture collectibles, retro tech, and comics. Card-side inventory runs deep on Pokemon — singles, slabs, and sealed from vintage WOTC through the newest sets — plus Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, and Lorcana, with sports cards and graded slabs mixed among the booths. Beyond shopping, the expo runs Pokemon tournaments and trading card game events all weekend, alongside retro arcades, pinball, VR, rhythm games, PC gaming, esports competitions, board games, and cosplay contests.
Hours are Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tickets: a Saturday pass is $35, a Sunday pass is $30, and the Weekender VIP badge is $45, which adds both days, a VIP lanyard, preferred panel and mainstage seating, a guest fast lane, and 30-minute early entry each day — the early entry alone is worth it for serious card hunters. Youth passes for ages 13–17 are $15, and kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult. Buy at gameandgeekexpo.com; VIP quantities are limited.
The Raleigh Convention Center is at 500 S Salisbury Street in downtown Raleigh, with paid parking in the surrounding city decks and metered street parking nearby. Downtown's restaurant row on Fayetteville Street is a block away for lunch breaks between marketplace laps and tournament rounds.
Who should attend? This expo is ideal for collectors who game and gamers who collect — Pokemon players can compete and restock in the same building, families get a full weekend of kid-friendly activities beyond the card tables, and casual collectors get 150-plus vendors without the pressure of a dealers-only trade floor. Competitive TCG players should watch the tournament schedule and register early, as events cap out.
To get the best experience, buy the VIP badge if your budget allows and use the 30-minute early entry to work the card booths before the floor opens, since the best vintage and graded inventory moves in the first hour. Bring cash alongside cards, carry a want list, and pack sleeves, top loaders, and a slab case. If you are entering tournaments, bring your deck sleeved and legal, and build your shopping around your round times.
For tickets, the tournament schedule, and vendor announcements, visit gameandgeekexpo.com or follow the expo on social media. Labor Day weekend in downtown Raleigh fills up, so book parking and dining plans early.