Illinois Card Shows 2026: From the National to the Legion Hall

Illinois hosted the National in 2026, along with roughly 90 other show series we could tie to a 2026 date. Here’s the full list, led by the hobby’s flagship convention in Rosemont.

Why it matters

Rosemont’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center hosted the National, two Chicago Sports Spectaculars and two Collect-A-Con stops in the same year. Schaumburg drew the Dallas Card Show’s Chicago edition. Below the headliners, the suburbs run a dense calendar of weekend hotel and fieldhouse shows.

The big ones

• National Sports Collectors Convention (46th) — July 29–Aug. 2 · Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont. More than 700,000 sq. ft. of floor, roughly 1,000 dealers and a new International Pavilion. It returns to Rosemont in 2027.
• Chicago Sports Spectacular — Mar. 14–15, Nov. 20–22 · Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont
• Collect-A-Con Chicago — Apr. 25–26, Oct. 10–11 · Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont
• Dallas Card Show – Chicago — May 29–31, Nov. 13–15 · Schaumburg Convention Center
• Chicago Trading Card Con (formerly PokéCon) — May 1–3 · Chicago Hilton
• Chicago Syndicate Trade Show — Aug. 30, Dec. 12–13 · Schaumburg Convention Center
• Legendary Card Collector Con — Nov. 21–22 · Renaissance Schaumburg
• Heart of Illinois Sportscard & Collectible Expo — Oct. 23–24 · Interstate Center, Bloomington

Chicago and the suburbs

• Schaumburg Card Show (100+ tables) — June 28, July 12, Aug. 9, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, Dec. 6 · Hyatt Regency Schaumburg
• Premier Card Shows – Kane County — May 9, Sept. 12, Nov. 14 · Kane County Fairgrounds, St. Charles
• Premier Card Shows — Rockford May 31 · Windy City Bulls (Hoffman Estates) Oct. 31 · DuPage County Fairgrounds (Wheaton) Dec. 19
• Chicago Card Show — May 3, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Dec. 13 · Bridgeview Community Center
• Sports Cards and More Show — June 28, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, Nov. 15, Dec. 13 · Orland Park Civic Center
• Vernon Hills Card Expo — Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 15 · Hawthorn Mall
• Break Time Card Show — Aug. 30 and Oct. 17 (Glendale Heights) · Nov. 1 (McCook) · Nov. 27–28 and Dec. 12 (Oak Lawn)
• City2City Card Show — June 7, Nov. 7–8 · Yorktown Center, Lombard
• Chaser’s Cards & Collectibles Exchange — Oct. 11, Nov. 8, Dec. 13 · Naperville
• TCG Jam — Oct. 24–25, Oct. 31–Nov. 1, Nov. 27–28 · Aurora / Naperville
• Fox Valley Card Expo — Nov. 7 · Fox Valley Center, Aurora
• Chicago Non-Sports & TCG Card Show — Oct. 16–17 · Carol Stream
• Hidden Treasures Sports & Pokémon Card Show — Oct. 24 · Carol Stream
• Collector’s Vault — Nov. 14, Dec. 5 (Schaumburg) · Dec. 19 (Wheeling)
• Stockroom Collectibles Card Fest — Sept. 26, Oct. 4, Nov. 29 · Oak Lawn
• Chicago Western Suburbs Sportscard Showcase — Nov. 7 · Willowbrook
• Plainfield Spectacular Card Show — Oct. 18, Dec. 6
• Hidden Gems Card Expo — Oct. 31 · Westchester
• The Rip It Card Show — Oct. 23 · Berwyn
• Card Kings — Oct. 25 · Waukegan
• NSYMCA Card Show — Oct. 25 · Northbrook
• TCGTradeZone — June 6 (Rosemont), Nov. 28 (Chicago)

McHenry County and the Fox River

• SJ Events Pokémon, Sports & TCG Card Show — Oct. 18, Nov. 29 · ELARA Convention Center, Crystal Lake
• CS Legacy Card Show — Oct. 3, Nov. 1, Nov. 29, Dec. 20 · Crystal Lake
• Pokémon & TCG at the Station — every other Saturday, Oct. 24–Dec. 19 · Crystal Lake Train Station
• Kappa Collectibles Trading Card Show — Sept. 27, Oct. 25 · Crystal Lake

Central and southern Illinois

• Sports Cards & Collectible Show — Sept. 20, Nov. 8, Nov. 29 · Route 66 Hotel, Springfield (Capital City Card Show Nov. 29)
• Corn Belt Card Show — Oct. 4, Dec. 4–6 · Mattoon
• Retro City Card Show — Nov. 21–22 · Washington
• Grail Quest – Peoria — Nov. 1 · East Peoria
• Illinois Valley SportsCard & Collectible Show — Mar. 7, June 6, Dec. 5 · Peru Mall
• Rock Island CardFest — May 25, Nov. 27 · Rock Island
• Burks Sports Cards Show #1 — Nov. 14 · Decatur
• Effing-Con 2026 — Nov. 28 · Effingham
• Jack Schmitt Ford Fall Classic — Oct. 17 · Collinsville
• 618 TCG Expo — Sept. 4, Oct. 30 · Troy
• Wrecking Crew Card Show — Aug. 1, Nov. 7 · Centralia

Reality check

The National, Sports Spectacular, Collect-A-Con and Dallas Card Show dates are confirmed by organizers and venues. Most local dates come from public calendars (TreasureHunter.show, TCDB, CardShopFinder, LocalCardShows), and small shows move or cancel, so confirm before you go. We found no 2026 Chicago Sun-Times show and no Illinois Pokémon Regional.

What’s next

The National returns to Rosemont in 2027. Michigan’s RazMania festival returns in 2027 too. Dates are TBA, and you can sign up to hear first.