Monthly roundup of all published card shows.
May 1, 2026 - May 2, 2026
The Chicago Non-Sport and TCG Card Show brings a two-day mix of non-sport cards, Pokémon, One Piece, and more to Carol Stream, Illinois. With free entry and door prizes, it looks like a solid suburban weekend stop for local collectors.
May 1, 2026 - May 3, 2026
Chicago Trading Card Con brings a full weekend of Pokémon-focused convention energy to downtown Chicago with vendors, panels, tournaments, guest appearances, and a Saturday trade party. It looks like a strong fit for both collectors and casual fans who want more than a standard one-day card show.
May 2, 2026 - May 3, 2026
The Card Syndicate Trade Show – Chicago brings a two-day hobby weekend to Rosemont with TCG, sports cards, trading, tournaments, giveaways, and a family-friendly hotel show atmosphere. It looks like a strong fit for collectors who want more than a quick local card room stop.
May 2, 2026
A smaller postgame collector event across from Wrigley, the Autograph & Sports Card Show at Rizzo’s Bar & Inn looks geared toward sports card fans and autograph seekers. With limited public details, the biggest draw is the signing lineup and the easy Wrigleyville location.
May 3, 2026
The Schaumburg Card Show returns to the Hyatt Regency Woodfield as another accessible Sunday stop for collectors looking to browse sports cards, Pokémon, and mixed hobby inventory. With free admission and a familiar hotel-show setup, it remains a practical local event for buying, selling, and trading in person.
May 3, 2026
The Chicago Card Show brings local dealers, autograph guest potential, and a low-cost community-center format to Bridgeview this May. It is an approachable Sunday show for sports card collectors, families, and anyone who enjoys in-person card hunting.
May 3, 2026
The Sports Cards and Collectibles Show is a free local Wilmington, Illinois event with sports cards, comics, coins, Pokémon, and more. It looks like a nice fit for collectors who enjoy smaller community shows with a mixed-category floor.
May 9, 2026
TCG TradeZone brings a trade-focused card show to Rosemont with 90+ vendor tables, 9,000+ square feet of trading, and a strong TCG-centered floor. With free admission, free parking, and room for buying, selling, and cash trades, it looks like a solid stop for Chicagoland collectors.
May 9, 2026 - May 9, 2026
The Fox Valley Sports Card & Collectibles Convention brings a free sports card and collectibles show to TOCA Soccer Center in Naperville with free parking and room for a large vendor floor.
May 9, 2026
The CS Legacy Card Show heads to a new Crystal Lake location this May with 150 tables of Pokémon, sports cards, memorabilia, and buy-sell-trade action. Free admission and on-site food make it an easy local hobby stop.
May 10, 2026 - May 10, 2026
The Pokémon & TCG Only Card Show brings a focused trading card floor to Carpentersville with Pokémon, One Piece, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Riftbound, 175+ tables, $3 admission, and free parking.
May 15, 2026 - May 15, 2026
The Joliet Card Show is a Friday night pop-up card show at The Forge in downtown Joliet, featuring buying, selling, and trading for sports cards, TCGs, and Pokémon.
May 16, 2026 - May 17, 2026
MintX – Midwest Card Expo 2026 brings a big two-day hobby weekend to Grayslake with 500 tables and vendors, on-site PSA submissions, and a broad mix of sports cards, Pokémon, TCG, and memorabilia. It looks like one of the larger Chicagoland-area card shows on the May 2026 calendar.
May 16, 2026 - May 16, 2026
Fantasy Card Show brings 90+ vendor tables, Pokémon, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, and more TCG collectibles to Countryside near Chicago, with free Pokémon packs for the first 50 attendees.
May 17, 2026 - May 17, 2026
Vernon Hills Monthly Card Expo brings 100+ vendor tables of sports cards, Pokémon, TCGs, sealed product, memorabilia, and collectibles to Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills, Illinois.
May 17, 2026
The Sports Cards and More Show returns to Orland Park on May 17, 2026 for another affordable monthly hobby day built around browsing tables, checking cards in person, and connecting with local collectors. It looks like a strong fit for sports card fans, casual collectors, and families looking for an approachable suburban card show.
May 22, 2026 - May 22, 2026
Fantasy Card Show - Night Show brings free entry, 50+ tables, Pokémon, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, and treat and food vendors to Orland Park.
May 23, 2026
The Break Time Card Show is a large mixed-category hobby event coming to La Grange, Illinois, with sports cards, Pokémon, One Piece, other TCGs, collectibles, concessions, raffle prizes, and free parking. It looks like a strong fit for both serious collectors and casual attendees who enjoy in-person card hunting.
May 23, 2026
The Premier Glendale Heights Sports Cards & TCG Show! is a free local hobby event in Glendale Heights, Illinois, built around sports cards, Pokémon, and trading in a community-friendly school gym setting. It looks like a solid fit for collectors who enjoy approachable, mixed-category shows.
May 24, 2026
The Sports Cards and Collectible Show is a smaller free-entry card show in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, offering a relaxed local community-space setting for sports card collectors this May.
May 24, 2026 - May 24, 2026
The Alley Grill & Tap House Card Show brings a free local collector event to Mokena with cards, collectibles, and a relaxed grill-and-tap-house setting.
May 29, 2026 - May 31, 2026
The Dallas Card Show heads to Schaumburg this May with 300+ vendor tables, sports cards, Pokémon, other TCGs, trade night, and a convention-style hobby atmosphere. For collectors who like bigger rooms and in-person dealmaking, this looks like one of the more notable Chicago-area card events of the month.
May 30, 2026
The Pokémon & TCG Card Event is a free recurring card show in Crystal Lake, Illinois, offering a relaxed local space for Pokémon collectors, TCG players, traders, and families. It is a good fit for browsing binders, making trades, and enjoying a smaller community-focused hobby event.
May 30, 2026
The **Collector's Vault Trade Show** heads to Gangnam Market in Chicago this May with free admission, a curated invite-only vendor setup, and a relaxed trade-friendly atmosphere. It looks like a strong fit for collectors who enjoy in-person buying, selling, and trading without the scale of a major convention.
May 31, 2026 - May 31, 2026
Elite Sports & Hobby Expo brings sports cards, Pokémon, memorabilia, trading cards, raffle prizes, and a family-friendly collector floor to Medinah Shriners in Addison.
May 31, 2026 - May 31, 2026
The Burr Ridge Card Show brings sports cards, Pokémon, TCGs, buying, selling, and trading to the Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge.
