(Written by William)
You may have heard of Brick Fest Live and have wondered what it is all about, or, perhaps you have never heard of it at all. In any case, let me start out by taking a quick moment and explain what Brick Fest Live is (and what it was in the past) before talking about my recent visit to the event. 🙂
Prior to the current version of Brick Fest Live, there was a traveling LEGO experience run by the LEGO Group themselves. When LEGO decided to end the traveling show, the fine people at Brick Fest Live took up the reigns and continued the touring event. That’s essentially the history of the show in a nutshell. Generally, the event is geared towards families and not so much adult LEGO fans. I would say that the closest experience to Brick Fest Live is LEGO Discovery Centers. However, given that Brick Fest Live is a traveling show, you won’t find the elaborate fixtures that are in LEGO Discovery Center locations. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the activities you’ll find at Brick Fest Live, in case you are interested, and it comes to a city near you. (Please note that Brick Fest Live is only in the USA – see their website for locations and dates).
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – LARGE LEGO MOSAICS: When I recently visited the event, there were two areas where visitors of the event could participate in helping to build massive LEGO mosaics. People were instructed in how to build small portions of the mosaic, which are then added to the large frame. Over the course of the entire event you could watch how the image developed.
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – FREE BUILD PLAY AREAS: Two areas were dedicated to freeform building. One of the areas was for younger children, and contained oversized soft play elements. The other area was for older fans who got to play in a blue sandbox. Once someone was done building in the sandbox, they could then display their creations on the tables around the area for other event-goers to see and be inspired by.
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – LEGO SPEEDWAY: At this area, you could build your own personal racer, then when you are done, you could test your racer’s ability on the track. Multiple races would be held throughout the day during the show.
➡ BRICK BEST LIVE – STRUCTURED LEGO BUILDING: For those needing a bit more guidance or focus, there were three areas for building. The first of these was the Architecture Zone, where you got your hands on all sorts of white elements just like in the #21050 LEGO Architecture Studio set. Once built, you could add your building into the growing display of other structures. Next was the Space Station. This area started with a central station and, as the event went on, fans could add their contributions to the growing station. Finally, there was the Neon City. This area focused on bright neon parts, under a black-light! This gave all the sculptures a surreal look.
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – LEGO DISPLAYS: The event also showcases various LEGO displays from expert builders. One display area was called the Glow Zone, which was a sheltered tent with black-lights. It included glow-in-the-dark LEGO pieces, including the ones from the #10244 LEGO Creator Fairground Mixer and #10247 LEGO Creator Ferris Wheel. Brick Fest Live also invites local LEGO User Groups (LUGs) to show off their creations. Since the event I went to was in Sacramento, California, my group, the Sacramento Brick Builders displayed some cool LEGO builds for the public to enjoy.
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – LEGO DIGITAL MEDIA SPOTS: There were also two places at the event for those who love the digital world of LEGO. At the gaming are people could check out the different LEGO video-games, and at the theatre, event-goers could take a break and watch some of their favorite LEGO animated shows.
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – LEGO MINI GOLF: If you get tired of building, you could stretch your muscles and shoot a round of mini golf. All the holes are built with LEGO obstacles. Perhaps not the most creative activity, but, hey, who doesn’t love mini golf?
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – MAKE YOUR OWN STUFF: For people who wanted to keep the LEGO creations they made, there were a few paid areas where you could do that. At one area you could design your own shirt, while at another place you could build your own minifigure. Still another area was called Meeper Mania, which I believe let you create your own monster. There was even an area for making a soccer bot!
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES: To help participants take perfect pictures to remember the event, there were a couple of displays that were perfect to take pictures with. Heck, even I did it! Some of my personal favorites were an oversized Woody from Toy Story, and a large inflatable minifig.
➡ BRICK FEST LIVE – SHOPPING: Brick Fest Live travels with some pretty awesome vendors, selling everything from custom minifigures, custom minifigure accessories, retired LEGO sets, and LEGO-themed clothing. Below is a video-intro to Brick Fest Live, which will show you these areas and events in more detail.
Admission tickets for Brick Fest Live vary based on location. General admission typically ranges between $20 to $30. VIP admission (which includes a sweet swag bag and the ability to come in a whole hour earlier than everyone else) ranges from $40 to $50. You definitely have a full day worth of activities, so I think the price is fair. If you are an adult LEGO fan, I would still say that it is better to go to an adult-oriented LEGO fan convention, but if you have family with small children, Brick Fest Live is a perfect way to have a LEGO-filled day.
What do you think? Have you been to Brick Fest Live before? How did you like it? Or are you planning to go? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉
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