The H2G Sports Card & Pokémon Show returns to Chicagoland on Saturday, September 19, 2026 for an intentionally mixed sports-card and Pokémon-first Saturday show. H2G has built its identity around the dual-audience format — a strong sports-card dealer floor that the Pokémon-only shows do not match, paired with deeper Pokémon and TCG coverage than most sports-only shows offer. The result is one of the more genuinely family-friendly Saturday card shows in the Chicago area, with kids and parents working the room together across sports and TCG tables in equal measure. The September 19 date sits the show three weeks into the NFL season, on the front edge of college football conference play, and right as new Pokémon TCG sets release for fall — all of which makes the room especially active.
The vendor floor is split intentionally between sports and TCG. Sports tables cover MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, UFC, boxing, and soccer across vintage and modern, with rows of Topps Chrome, Bowman Chrome rookies and prospects, Panini Prizm, Donruss Optic, Select, Mosaic, and vintage Topps, Bowman, and Fleer. Chicago-team inventory — Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Sky, and Fire — and Notre Dame, Northwestern, Illinois, and Big Ten college coverage moves consistently. Pokémon is the headline TCG draw — deep tables of modern Scarlet & Violet singles, elite trainer boxes, booster boxes, tins, premium collection boxes, Japanese imports and promos, and vintage Base Set and WOTC-era chase cards across English and Japanese print runs. Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece TCG, Disney Lorcana, and Dragon Ball Z Fusion World all get supporting table space. Graded PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC slabs fill locked cases at the higher-end tables. Sealed wax, memorabilia, autographs, Funko Pops, comics, and supplies like sleeves, top loaders, and binders round out the room.
Show hours typically run 9:00 AM CDT to 3:00 PM CDT on Saturday, September 19 — a six-hour Saturday window built around a single-day attendance pattern. General admission is typically free or a modest door fee, with kids 12 and under admitted free with a paying adult. The intentionally low admission barrier consistently pulls family foot traffic and walk-in collections, which is part of why dealers value this show even though the gross gate is small.
The September H2G venue and full address are confirmed on the operator's social channels closer to show week. Historic Chicagoland editions have used hotel ballroom venues accessible from the major Chicagoland expressways and pull collectors from across the city and suburbs. Confirm the venue address on cardshowdex.com and the H2G social channels before you go.
Who should attend? H2G is a near-perfect fit for the Pokémon-first family attendee, casual sports collectors who want a manageable Saturday show, set builders, modern flippers, prospect chasers, vintage Pokémon hunters, and TCG players warming up for fall League Cups and Regional Championships. The dual sports-and-Pokémon format makes the show especially good for households where one parent collects sports and the other parent and kids collect Pokémon.
To get the most out of the day, arrive at the door open for first crack at fresh inventory, walk the full room once before pulling the trigger on a big buy, and carry a sorted want list with target prices. Bring cash for the quickest transactions (Venmo and Zelle as backups), pack a slab case and a few extra top loaders for pickups, and bring a trade binder. Follow H2G on Instagram and Facebook and check cardshowdex.com for venue confirmation and any week-of updates.