Following a two-year hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (CHITAG) will be resuming its in-person event this Dec. 10 and 11. This will be the 20th anniversary of CHITAG and is expected to host thousands of attending families.
“CHITAG is back, and we’re so excited to be celebrating our 20th anniversary with such a great lineup of sponsors, exhibitors, and activations,” says Mary Couzin, president of People of Play. “To celebrate the start of our 20th anniversary we are rolling back prices to 2003 when we first started this event. It’s a fun way to give back to our fans and community who keep coming back year after year.”
CHITAG 2022 is expected to have a large number of booths representing different brands, many of them interactive in order to draw in kids and families. There will be a craft and build at the Spaghetteez booth, a Gel Blaster Activation, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, giant Jenga games, a beer and board game garden, and more.
Lead sponsors Goliath, Gel Blaster, and Little Medical School will be particularly involved. Goliath Group will be hosting a qualifying event for the North American Rummikub Championship, which will see a winner leaving with two plane tickets and $1,000 to compete in the championship in Poland. Additional sponsors of CHITAG include Disney, Oxford Games, Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, TOMY, Longshore, Crazy Aaron’s, Nextoy, Spin Master, Super Impulse, Moose Games, PlayMonster, Funko, Zigazoo, Backdrop.com, The Singing Machine, Peggy Brown Creative, and Barry and Jason.
Additionally, The Toy Coach Azhelle Wade will be podcasting from the fair. Rachele Harmuth from ThinkFun will also be present to discuss the company’s initiatives.
General admission tickets to the fair are being priced at $10 for adults and $5 for kids when bought in advance and $15 for adults and $7 for kids at the door. Kids ages 3 and under are admitted free with a parent or guardian. CHITAG 2022 is taking place at the Donald J. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.
