It’s officially Chicago Toy & Game Week, the annual gathering of toy industry players here on the Third Coast. Toy & game designers, inventors and innovators will be meeting with acquisition executives from major toymakers as a variety of conferences take place leading up to the annual TAGIE Awards on Friday, followed by the main event on Saturday and Sunday – #ChiTAG: the public Chicago Toy & Game Fair. Happening at Navy Pier, November 17 & 18, 2018, ChiTAG has become a Chicago tradition to usher in the holiday shopping season by allowing families to go hands-on with some of the hottest toys of the season, along with some under-the-radar picks from major manufacturers and independent toymakers alike. There’s fun for the whole family, and this year there’s some new additions on opposite ends of the spectrum… like the baby and toddler play area and a beer garden (with games!) for the “big kids” (21+).
Chicago Toy & Game Fair 2018 Events include:
- Young Inventor Challenge
- Beer Garden with Popular Adult and Party Games
- Baby and Toddler PlaySpace
- Talk to Santa Claus, Etch with Princess-Etch-A-Sketch
- Meet Greedy Granny! Be careful stealing her cookies!
- i-Top Hourly Challenges, GraviTrax Challenge
- Stratego National Tournament
- Team Stange Racing NASCAR Car!
- Interactive Exhibits, Test out Products Before They Hit Retail Shelves
- Photo Ops with characters from Star Wars and the 501st Legion
- Meet Toy & Game Inventors from Around the World
- Shop for New and Classic Toys for the Holidays
- Yo-Yo Championship – Contestants from Coast to Coast
- Be entertained by Ben’s Giant Bubble Show
- Giveaways, Stage Events, Magic Shows, Contests
For a full list of exhibitors, click here.
Early bird (advance) tickets are just $14 for adults, $7 for children ages 3-13 (under 3 are free), with tix available at the door for $15/$8. Complimentary tickets are available for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in uniform, Grandparents (Sunday only), educators, retail and trade representatives and all Firefighters, Police and Active Military and Veterans. See full details and register here.
