We have recently talked about the various LEGO conventions happening around the USA, as well as some tips for attending such events (see: Tips for Attending a LEGO Convention). Most LEGO conventions are held once a year, however today I would like to update you on a recent LEGO event that was so successful it will be repeated this fall: Philly Brick Fest. If you live or travel in the area you have a second chance to attend.

Philly Brick Fest is the result of the hard work of Chad Collins, the organizer of the event, who also runs the YouTube channel Your Creative Friends with his daughter. The first ever Philly Brick Fest was held this April at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and filled with over 75,000 square feet of collaborative LEGO displays. (Picture below: Kevin Hinkle, Benny the 1980-something space guy, and Chad Collins)

The event was three days long, with the first day open to registered attendants only. This is the day when LEGO fans could mingle and also participate in various games, activities and presentations specifically geared towards adult LEGO fans, before the general public floods the convention hall. LEGO’s own representative Kevin Hinkle was present and gave a talk on the LEGO CEE (LEGO Community Engagement & Events) department’s programs and support opportunities that are currently available to the adult LEGO fan community. You can see pictures from the event at Kevin’s Flickr Gallery.

The following two days were the public days and thousands of people poured in to see all the LEGO exhibits and participate in all the fun. Of course the main attraction is all the LEGO displays. Kevin mentioned in his blog-post that this was the first time all four Pennsylvania based LEGO fan groups showcased their collaborative displays at the same venue at the same time: DelVaLUG, Steel City LUG and ColonialLUG.

Besides the LEGO displays there were also plenty of fun activities: Brick Fest Derby where you could build and race your car down a 35’ long track, guided builds of large-scale LEGO models, free creative play in the Brick Zone, live trivia and Q&A with YouTube celebrity hosts The Brick Show, reading and coloring stations, and learning about LEGO robotics with First LEGO League. There were also dozens of vendor tables with truckloads of LEGO merchandise including buckets of bulk LEGO bricks, custom minifigures, minifigure accessories, LEGO jewelry, and more.

As I have mentioned, due to the success of Philly Brick Fest, it will be repeated this fall. The dates are September 12th for registered attendants, and September 13th-14th for the public events. It will be held at the same location at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. If you want to register to showcase your own creations you will need to contact the organizers ahead of time, or if you want to just participate in the public events you can get your tickets anytime from now on. I do recommend that you don’t wait until the last minute; once the event is only a few days away you won’t be able to buy tickets online, and you may or may not be able to get in. Before the last event I got several worried emails from people who were unable to get tickets. To learn more about the event or to purchase tickets visit the Philly Brick Fest website: BrickFestLive.com

So if you are in the Philadelphia area this fall I would suggest you stop by Philly Brick Fest. And if you would like some tips for attending read the following guide: Tips for Attending a LEGO Convention. What do you think? Are you thinking about attending? Maybe even showcasing some of your own LEGO creations? Feel free to share in the comment section below!

And you may also like to check out the following related post:

• LEGO Bricks-by-the-Bay Convention – Part 1
• LEGO Bricks-by-the-Bay Convention – Part 2
• LEGO Convention Philly Brick Fest Coming!
• BrickWorld: Have Fun in the World of LEGO!
• LEGO Users Groups In South East Asia
• Your Bridge to LEGO: Kevin Hinkle – Part One
• Your Bridge to LEGO: Kevin Hinkle – Part Two
• Tips for Attending a LEGO Convention