Memphis Poké Fest returns for a fall Saturday on September 12, 2026 — a back-to-school timing window that traditionally pulls one of the strongest crowds of the Memphis Poké Fest calendar. Hosted by the Memphis Poké Fest crew (Trading Card Database show ID 13109), this Pokémon-first hobby event is built around Pokémon cards, sealed product, and tournaments, with the vendor floor expanding to Pokémon Funko Pops, plush, comics, Magic: The Gathering, sports cards, and other trading card games as well. Memphis-area Pokémon fans drive in from Cordova, Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, East Memphis, Midtown, Olive Branch (MS), Southaven (MS), and West Memphis (AR). Early-September timing falls right at the start of the new Pokémon TCG competitive season, with the next Scarlet & Violet block in full swing on the secondary market, the Pokémon World Championships pull rumors fresh in collectors' minds, and a wave of newly-graded summer-Worlds slabs hitting the show floor for the first time.
The vendor floor is heavily Pokémon-weighted. Pokémon dealers stock singles and sealed from vintage WOTC Base, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket through Neo, e-Reader, EX, Diamond & Pearl, HeartGold & SoulSilver, Black & White, XY, Sun & Moon, Sword & Shield, and modern Scarlet & Violet. Japanese-exclusive sealed booster boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes, Premium Collections, Build & Battle kits, Cosmic Eclipse and Hidden Fates Tin re-pulls, and Pokémon Center exclusive merchandise are consistently in stock. PSA, BGS, CGC, and Ace Grading slabs cover everything from $5 commons to grail-level First Edition Base Charizards, Shadowless Holos, and Trophy Pikachus. The fall show traditionally also features a stronger-than-normal slate of vintage WOTC and Japanese promo dealers — back-to-school hobby budgets and tax-refund collectors typically use the early-fall show to buy a single grail piece for the year. TCG tables also stock Magic: The Gathering Commander and Standard, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece TCG, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Z Fusion World, Digimon, Star Wars Unlimited, and Flesh and Blood. Sports card tables, Funko Pop dealers, vintage comic vendors, and Pokémon-branded plush and accessory sellers round out the floor.
Doors open at 10:00 AM CDT and run through 4:00 PM CDT. Admission is typically $5 for adults at the door, with kids 12 and under admitted free with a paying adult. Door-prize raffles run hourly with sealed Elite Trainer Boxes, graded slabs, and Japanese promo cards as the most-coveted prizes. Casual side-event Pokémon battles, Standard and Expanded format mini-tournaments, and trade-night style trading sessions typically run during the afternoon — check the show's Facebook event page for confirmed tournament times, format details, and entry fees.
The show is held in a climate-controlled Memphis-area hall — comfort that matters even in September on the Mississippi River — ADA-accessible, and laid out with wide aisles. Free parking is available on the on-site lot.
This show fits every Pokémon collector type — first-timers, families, kids walking in for the first time, casual binder collectors, competitive Standard and Expanded tournament players, modern Scarlet & Violet flippers, vintage WOTC slab hunters, Japanese-exclusive specialists, and grail-level investors. For the best experience, arrive right at 10:00 AM for first dibs, bring cash plus Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal backups, carry a want list sorted by set and card number, and pack penny sleeves, top loaders, and a hard-sided slab case. Verify the exact venue and confirmed September 12 date with the show host before driving in.