Target 'Pokémon' Event Quietly Meant To Stop Adults From Buying All The Cards From Kids

Published Sep 23, 2026, 11:41 AM EDT Patricia is the former editor-in-chief of Kotaku, where she spent a decade writing and editing. Prior to that, she served as the Culture Editor at Polygon, and as a reporter at The Verge. Hernandez specializes in Pokémon TCG, Nintendo, and offbeat internet culture stories. Internal Target documents refer to the Pokémon 30th Anniversary Event as 'Family Day' Image: OLM, Inc./The Pokémon Company Sign in to your Polygon.com account Grown adults fighting over Pokémon cards— and sometimes getting arrested — have become a running joke at this point. The Pokémon trading card game is popular with kids, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many children camping outside a Target on a weekday, or spending thousands of dollars on the latest TCG set. When kids do enter the Pokémon fray, there's always a chance that an adult will ruin their day. So, what's a retailer like Target to do about this unfortunate state of affairs? When is Target's Pokémon event? The answer, it seems, is an event on Sept. 27 from 12 to 4 p.m. that's officially being marketed as "Celebrate 30 Years of Pokémon." However, restock Discord servers indicate that both employees and internal Target documentation have been referring to the event as Family Day for weeks before its official reveal. The reason for that unofficial moniker lies in the particulars of what will happen at the event. What will Target sell at the Pokémon event? The first 98 or so attendees will receive a bag of goodies, including a Mewtwo promo card and an event ticket. The event ticket can be redeemed to purchase two 30th Celebration Tins that contain five packs each. These aspects, by themselves, wouldn't constitute an event — they would just be a normal Pokémon drop. What sets this occasion apart are the additional activities Target stores will offer. What activities will Target hold during Sunday's Pokémon event? Target will hold a "draw-your-own Pokémon card" activity, which includes a plastic cover resembling a PSA-graded collectible. The retailer is also expected to set up photo opportunities and additional Pokemon-themed giveaways. Customers will be treated to demos of Pokémon Pokopia on Nintendo Switch 2 at select stores. Additionally, there will be all sorts of Pokémon-themed products in the 30th anniversary displays that many Target stores set up earlier this month. These are activities anyone can participate in and enjoy, but Target employees largely agree that the event feels aimed at children. This would explain why the event is being held on a weekend, and why it is happening during an accessible time rather than when the store opens. The hope is that the event will give busy families a real shot at purchasing a hot product. Whether it actually works out that way is another thing entirely. Already, restock and scalper Discord servers have adult Pokémon fans boasting how they'll attend by themselves anyway to purchase the 30th Celebration tins. Some are even working out the logistics of how to camp or line up outside the store. The more self-aware among these schemers are at least thinking about finding a kid to bring to the event. "Wonder how many single middle-aged men I’ll see at this 'family' event," wrote one Facebook commenter on a post discussing Target's Pokémon event. What stores will participate in Target's Pokémon Family Day? You can find the full list of participating stores here. If you plan to attend, it may be a good idea to call your local store and ask about specifics regarding line times and stock allocation.