Who's going???!
There are pipe shows, and then there's CHICAGO. I truly love them all, but Chicago remains the standard bearer. The BIG one.
Let me start by saying that in terms of the show floor, there's a change for ONE YEAR ONLY. The Grand Ballroom had already been reserved for the first weekend in May 2025 when we moved to the Hyatt last year, so we needed to move to the smaller Rosemont Ballroom for this year. For future years...GRAND BALLROOM!!!!! The upside is that the Rosemont Ballroom is directly adjacent to the elevators and is much closer to the smoking tent and seminar rooms. So, if you have difficulty with distances, this is absolutely the year to go to Chicago! Everything else will be unaffected. We'll still have nearly 200 tables altogether, but no more. We have a hard cap this year. And the aisles might be a little cozier this year.
What happens in Chicago? Pretty much four full days of pipe smoking fun -- seminars, room hopping, meetups, the Battle of the Briar, pipe tobacco blending and cigar rolling classes, TWO smoking tents, Steve Norse's Vermont Freehand room (and the late night jam sessions), friends from around the world, restaurants galore, mobile cigar lounge, the world famous Chicago Pipe Show silent auction, the Welcome to Chicago Cocktail Party in the rotating rooftop lounge, and the Masters and Doctors of Pipes Dinner. My Goodness....it's a 4-day F-ing day pipe party!!!! Get there on THURSDAY. My personal favorite day. Only a couple of scheduled events. Many have already arrived. The smoking tent is less crowded. A perfect time to poach the very best pipes before they hit the show floor. A great evening to have a 5-star Chicago meal or enjoy an Irish pub. I love Thursday at the Chicago Pipe Show.
Note that our new home is a significant upgrade from Pheasant Run (RIP) and the Marriott Lincolnshire. Not only is it a beautiful property, but it's also sandwiched between O'Hare International Airport and the City of Chicago. Free shuttles are provided by the hotel from O'Hare. The CTA train station to downtown is a few short blocks from the hotel. May, while unpredictable, can be the most beautiful time of the year to visit Chicago. Unfortunately, the Cubs are out of town this year during the show and, as a season ticket holder and lifelong fan, that's the only team that matters in Chicago. However.... it's likely that the White Sox are home, but are somewhat further away from the hotel than the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
For Peterson fans, don't miss the Friday afternoon Peterson/PSOI/Peterson Pipe Notes meetup with Mark Irwin, Peterson shop manager Glen Whelan, and Big Red himself, Dan Chasin. I'll be there too. ;-)
There's also the pipe making classes, led by none other than Jeff (J Alan) Gracik! He'll be assisted by some other rather well-known carvers like Alex Florov and others, too. Don't be surprised if someone like Tom Eltang or Nate King drops by to see how you're doing! You never know who will drop in.
Want to go? Book your show tickets and rooms ASAP. There is an earlybird special on admission and there's still availability in our discounted show rates at the Hyatt. Both the show and the hotel have liberal cancellation policies, so don't hesitate to pull the trigger if you're uncertain. Don't miss out by delaying.
Head to Chicagopipeshow.com for tickets and reservations. Sorry, we're a little light on details about vendors and seminar schedules at the moment, but they'll be posted soon, I'm sure.
As a side note, the Chicago Pipe Show is a not-for-profit event hosted by the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club. EVERY penny spent on tickets, dinners, proceeds from show bars, and the silent auction all go towards providing the very best and most fun pipe show in the world, no holds barred. We absolutely do not make a profit. No one, outside of hotel staff and other service providers are paid. The reality is that in 2025, we will almost certainly LOSE money due to a combination of factors outside of our control. The goal is to have a great 2025, lose as little as possible, and have an even better 2026 and beyond! Let's stand up for pipes and pipe tobacco. Although we see governments trying to beat us down and changes to the marketplace that are a bit disheartening, we're still the same great community of pipe enthusiasts. Let's enjoy it as much and as loud as we can, while we can!
There are pipe shows, and then there's CHICAGO. I truly love them all, but Chicago remains the standard bearer. The BIG one.
Let me start by saying that in terms of the show floor, there's a change for ONE YEAR ONLY. The Grand Ballroom had already been reserved for the first weekend in May 2025 when we moved to the Hyatt last year, so we needed to move to the smaller Rosemont Ballroom for this year. For future years...GRAND BALLROOM!!!!! The upside is that the Rosemont Ballroom is directly adjacent to the elevators and is much closer to the smoking tent and seminar rooms. So, if you have difficulty with distances, this is absolutely the year to go to Chicago! Everything else will be unaffected. We'll still have nearly 200 tables altogether, but no more. We have a hard cap this year. And the aisles might be a little cozier this year.
What happens in Chicago? Pretty much four full days of pipe smoking fun -- seminars, room hopping, meetups, the Battle of the Briar, pipe tobacco blending and cigar rolling classes, TWO smoking tents, Steve Norse's Vermont Freehand room (and the late night jam sessions), friends from around the world, restaurants galore, mobile cigar lounge, the world famous Chicago Pipe Show silent auction, the Welcome to Chicago Cocktail Party in the rotating rooftop lounge, and the Masters and Doctors of Pipes Dinner. My Goodness....it's a 4-day F-ing day pipe party!!!! Get there on THURSDAY. My personal favorite day. Only a couple of scheduled events. Many have already arrived. The smoking tent is less crowded. A perfect time to poach the very best pipes before they hit the show floor. A great evening to have a 5-star Chicago meal or enjoy an Irish pub. I love Thursday at the Chicago Pipe Show.
Note that our new home is a significant upgrade from Pheasant Run (RIP) and the Marriott Lincolnshire. Not only is it a beautiful property, but it's also sandwiched between O'Hare International Airport and the City of Chicago. Free shuttles are provided by the hotel from O'Hare. The CTA train station to downtown is a few short blocks from the hotel. May, while unpredictable, can be the most beautiful time of the year to visit Chicago. Unfortunately, the Cubs are out of town this year during the show and, as a season ticket holder and lifelong fan, that's the only team that matters in Chicago. However.... it's likely that the White Sox are home, but are somewhat further away from the hotel than the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
For Peterson fans, don't miss the Friday afternoon Peterson/PSOI/Peterson Pipe Notes meetup with Mark Irwin, Peterson shop manager Glen Whelan, and Big Red himself, Dan Chasin. I'll be there too. ;-)
There's also the pipe making classes, led by none other than Jeff (J Alan) Gracik! He'll be assisted by some other rather well-known carvers like Alex Florov and others, too. Don't be surprised if someone like Tom Eltang or Nate King drops by to see how you're doing! You never know who will drop in.
Want to go? Book your show tickets and rooms ASAP. There is an earlybird special on admission and there's still availability in our discounted show rates at the Hyatt. Both the show and the hotel have liberal cancellation policies, so don't hesitate to pull the trigger if you're uncertain. Don't miss out by delaying.
Head to Chicagopipeshow.com for tickets and reservations. Sorry, we're a little light on details about vendors and seminar schedules at the moment, but they'll be posted soon, I'm sure.
As a side note, the Chicago Pipe Show is a not-for-profit event hosted by the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club. EVERY penny spent on tickets, dinners, proceeds from show bars, and the silent auction all go towards providing the very best and most fun pipe show in the world, no holds barred. We absolutely do not make a profit. No one, outside of hotel staff and other service providers are paid. The reality is that in 2025, we will almost certainly LOSE money due to a combination of factors outside of our control. The goal is to have a great 2025, lose as little as possible, and have an even better 2026 and beyond! Let's stand up for pipes and pipe tobacco. Although we see governments trying to beat us down and changes to the marketplace that are a bit disheartening, we're still the same great community of pipe enthusiasts. Let's enjoy it as much and as loud as we can, while we can!
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Last year was fantastic, despite some unexpected difficulties just before trip. Some people I met there last year have reached out to me about this year. I am considering it,
BUT.. did add to the cellar more than anticipated with too many blends gone or soon to be forever gone. 
show and I encourage anyone who hasn't been to make it there if possible. Hopefully, I'll see ya there. I met so many great people from this forum, & others at the show there in person. It is ALOT of fun! So much to do, learn, AND the smoking tent is great- filled with good people, good smokes!Craig is right about locale, It is a great site & easy from O'hare. I clicked on link & hotel link and airline pages- I am looking 
.
