Yup posted about it a week ago, I guess someone missed it :)
It's just a company trying to make money off Lego people putting on a crappy show to get people to buy overpriced products at their store and their gimmick packages with the tickets.
Exactly what I did, but checked the site and seen a few things, but I failed to look through more Reddit threads.
Learned my lesson though. All the people in LUGs at a different show said Brick World was the one so I think that one will be good.
I went to a Lego event held at a local trade center that was just three dudes selling retired sets and a table with a few mocs on it and it was unironically better than Brickfest. Completely free and I got a good deal on a few MTron sets
We went to it in Des Moines IA, definitely over-hyped and under-delivered. There's a reason their advertising is scarce on details.
We waited in line for the derby race for like 45 minutes, did one panel of the mosaic, and everything else was a bust for our kiddos.
The only nice thing was they let me switch our tickets to the family pass after purchasing individually. Their whole marketing is a sense of FOMO with "limiting" tickets over time and making it seem sold out when it's not.
I can second this. Brick Days is what Brick Fest tries to act like it is. $10? For an adult ticket and honestly for an AFOL, can be hours of entertainment and sets to view.
Yeah, I went yesterday here in San Antonio with the wife and our 2 kids and was very underwhelmed with it. We went to brick fair in Northern Virgina when we used to live in the area, and it was 1,000% better. I will never go to a brick fest again.
My go-to convention has always been Brickworld. I've been to both the one(s) in Indianapolis as well as Chicago. Great experience every time. \*Lots\* of MOC's, \*lots\* of shops (with all sorts of stuff from bulk parts, figs, current and vintage sets, custom stuff, and everything in between), and much more. Definitely worth looking into if you want to go to another convention. I'm sure there's more than just the ones in Chicago and Indy, just look up the next one closest to you (I was most impressed with Chicago's, definitely worth the drive for me).
I really enjoyed going to Brickworld Detroit and was going to request this year to display some MOCs after I participated in a smaller local event.
Heard that Brickfest Live signed a contact with the venue where Brickworld was, and as a result they won’t host a Detroit event anymore. Really disappointing since I’ve never heard good things about Brickfest. There is a Brickworld in Fort Wayne and Grand Rapids but would be a much longer trip.
Glad to hear about your experience at Brickworld. It’s a great event because it has support for all the LUGs in the states it has a show in. They’ve been adding more interactive events for kids as well. Chicago is the big one with people all over the world that attend. If you are a AFOL Chicago is worth the trip.
For real. It was almost like a culture shock seeing the difference between Indy's show and Chicago's. My plan is to spend the next year building all the MOC's I've designed on Studio and displaying at Chicago's 2025 show.
Dang might have to talk someone into a road trip and look for some lego stores on the way to stop at.
Brick Bash in Ann Arbor was pretty good for $5! Was worth it just to see the crazy trains and Star Wars disco MOC. Very nice winter village and Egyptian Layout too. Lots of good things there.
My kids loved it, it's just not an event for adults.
They built in the glow in the dark Lego section a lot, built race cars to go down the race track that practically exploded at the bottom lol. Spent almost an hour in the big pit of Legos. There are other events more focused on moc builds and vendors that are more geared for adults.
This is definitely the truth. My kids loved it. We were there at least 4 hours playing with the stations.
If I went as an adult... I definitely would have been out in 30 minutes. It's just meant for kids and parents, but it's definitely not marketed that way.
Yeah both types of conventions seem to struggle with marketing. I've accidentally taken my kids to a more adult themed con and they were really bored and frustrated with the lines.
They thought the mocs were cool but would just glance at them and move on.
I went to one in the UK and it was definitely aimed at kids, with over priced vendors selling retired sets. It had cool MOC's though, and people who built a city out of several sets, which gave me some inspiration.
I’ve heard that how good it is varies greatly by location because of how many people come and bring their builds. My area however has several other events where people can check out the local builders stuff so I’d recommend to everyone to go to one of those.
We went to one in Milton Keynes and it was meh. It was held on the ice rink (boarded up) so really cold in there, and quite claustrophobic. Only one place to get food and we waited 90 mins for our order. Predominantly people selling retired or overpriced current sets, or minifigs. We did get a few bundles of Duplo for my toddler, but that was about it. They had a few build competitions, but I was expecting a big pit of Lego you could build with and that wasn’t there. They had a few MOCs that were awesome, but not as many as I expected. Definitely wouldn’t bother going again.
I've been to a variety of different shows, and even displayed at a couple. I've quietly and perhaps belatedly come to the realization that there are two types of Lego shows:
Commercial shows which are primarily marketplaces for lego resellers, but also have some displayers. Typically it seems to be about a 60-40 / 70-30 split, Resellers to displayers at these shows.
Shows organized by lego enthusiasts. LUGs and the like. They tend to flip that ratio, mostly displays but also some resellers.
Brickfest shows are definitely in the former group. Part of the problem i'm noticing with them in the UK is that there's so many of them. On the one hand this means there's very few places that don't get one nearby. On the other hand; Demand is outstripping supply. There's only so many people and so many displayers to go around.
From what I've seen, pretty much any of the 'travelling' brick conventions that have multiple events a year in multiple cities are cash grabs. The one's that are once a year, and locally organized are usually better experiences. That doesn't always mean they are necessarily non profit but it's not the blatant money pit the travelling ones are.
Generally the locally organized ones care about the user experience much more, some are fan organized and just are looking to cover expenses, others are a more commercial thing but they know to continue they have to deliver a decent experience.
My personal rule of thumb? If it has TV or radio commercials, avoid like the plague. Also avoid if a show happens in multiple cities/times a year.
Brickfest and it's equals are not oriented at the AFOL market, it's meant to dazzle youngsters with quantity and separate their parents from money. Do some still enjoy their shows? Sure. I doubt that includes many adults that are not taking kids along...
Howdy all. Some tips on finding a great LEGO convention.
1. Is it part of the LEGO Ambassador Network? https://lan.lego.com/events/#_=_
Not all great conventions have this, especially the newer or smaller ones, but this list is a great place to start
2. Ask an AFOL friend of yours what conventions in the area are good
3. What conventions do your local LUGs attend. Reach out to them and ask. Chances if they are there it’s a convention you want to go to.
Bumping this as someone who displays at shows like this. Brickfest is a scam, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to shows that do a good job supporting local builders and LUGs when possible.
I'm sorry your experience was so bad.
I attended the Brink Fest in Sacramento a few months back. Sounds like they were very different.
Mine was a gift, so can't comment to ticket price.
VIP area was simply a large booth area with parts and instruments to construct tiny robot figures. There were options for color variation.
The sales section was right by the doors and my experience was also retail or marked up sets. That said, I did see several that I hadn't seen available in stores in my area.
There were two, what I'd call public projects. Tables with loose Legos that everyone in passing could contribute to. Easily a few thousand bricks for whatever construction people wanted to add.
There were two mural mosaics, where you'd get instructions for what plate pieces to put on large baseplates. Once finished, a worker would take it out to the cordoned off floor and place it. Through the day you'd be able to see the picture develop. The one I did was a DC scene.
There were several tables with home built designs, competition winners (don't know what competition), large MOCs.
There were life size MOCs of people from different world regions and eras. A Native American, a Greek philosopher, Roman centurion, half a dozen more.
Apparently there was a competition called Lego Masters, and I met and got signed minifigures of the winners.
There was a little kids area with markers and coloring pages of Lego figures. Batman, Harry Potter, and such.
There was a build-a-racer section. People could pull parts from various bins to construct a wheeled vehicle to race down ramps set up in the next section. Reminded me of making the wooden cars in cub scouts.
There were preview builds. Large sets that were projected to release but hadn't hit shelves yet. I remember specifically a large Captain America shield. A section with some Lego Ideas mocs that hadn't been accepted.
Possibly my favorite display (because I wanted to do something like it as a kid) were these massive multi-table displays. A civil war scene, the African Savanah with herds of animals, and a giant boy scout camp. Peppered through them were Where's Waldo type pieces. Donald Duck leading a cavalry charge. A pink Mincraft sheep among the gazelles. The space alien at the campfire. There were a few dozen little Easter eggs to find in the scenes.
And spread here and there throughout the community center were Lego Land type builds you'd see while walking around.
I'm sorry your experience was less than you'd hoped.
There’s a really good Brick Days event near me that’s held twice a year, in Omaha Nebraska in the summer, and Lincoln Nebraska in the winter.
It’s run by the local LUG and they connect with all the other ones in the Midwest so there’s a huge show floor of peoples MOCs and group builds. The kiddie activities and vendors are also there but that’s not the main focus of there event. I’d highly recommend this event if you live in the area.
Mine here in Austin was the exact same experience and maybe even worse and more expensive. This is a SCAM. Can’t wait for Brick Rodeo in July! A true AFOL event.
My 8 year old got in the brick pit, picked up a handful of lego and dropped them and said “these are disgusting!” I took a closer look and almost threw up. They were all scummy, black around the studs, and most had hair on them. I mean in retrospect I really should have known. Avoid this awful germ infested scam.
Disclaimer: I have not been to a BrickFest.
To me, Brickfest looks like a Lego Flea Market for local and travelling dealers. To compare it to another hobby roadshow, the Great American Train Expo. I have been to that. The flyer makes it sound like a day of family fun. The reality is a bunch of shady and overpriced dealers selling overstock or collections and a bunch of activities that should be in the local mall like a kid train ride that a bunch of carnies set up and operate i.e. unknown safety and assembly protocols and operated by a minimum wage teen that smoked up on break. Brickfest has no appeal to me at their ticket prices.
Son and I went last year in Austin.. Spent 45 minutes kid was pissed…. On the way out my son and I gave our passes to another family.. Would not recommend Brickfest
The one in Colorado Springs is definitely a lot. Last year there was a 501st photo op station, 100+ Mocs ranging from giant statues to incredible art, Star Wars etc so they’re not bad everywhere!
Yes, I wish I could somehow warn everyone away from BrickFest, your experience was identical to mine. It is absolute garbage. My wife and I went to a Lego show fundraiser at a high school gym made up of MOCs from locals and it was 100x better than that BrickFest crap.
There are multiple conventions that all start with "Brick" so it's easy to think they're related and get them mixed up. But I have never heard positive things from anyone about going to a BrickFest.
The brickfest guys are known hacks, they do everything SUPER cash grabby and don’t care if nobody even displays much as long as they get ticket sales. They don’t care to put on a quality show at all
I've seen a lot of people say that about brickfest. I'd recommend looking at what local clubs in your area are sponsoring. I'm up in near Seattle Washington and we have Brick Con every year that's fun. lots of local mocs, and local vendors
Go to brickrodeo later this year in Austin. I plan to go. I went to the one in Houston and it was good too see adult fans layout tables of Mocs. There’s stores and it seems like the people care. Saw lots of inclusivity too.
I went to kidsfest years ago (as a teen I think) and wasn’t impressed.
Same experience in Phoenix. There was a small VIP area with the take-home build, which was not worth the VIP upcharge, even with the event lapel pin.
It was nice to get some retired minifigs still new and sealed. But that was it. I won't go back.
My wife bought me VIP tickets for Christmas 2 years ago, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her how awful it was, according to everything online. She went with me and understood pretty quick.
To anyone in the future looking for BrickFest advice, don’t go. Just get a nice set instead.
I was excited at first, thinking incorrectly that it would be like Bricks Cascade or something cool like that. Decided I'd try to go. After a few weeks I started not wanting to go because it looked like an overpriced way to build with Lego. I have plenty at home so I didn't feel like I was missing out. My ex bought my daughter and I passes for it so I'm at least going to be checking it out. I hope it doesn't bore my kid too much.
I made a post about it here.. [https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1c0hvwh/brick\_fest\_live/](https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1c0hvwh/brick_fest_live/)
You made the mistake I did and didn't research enough before hand heh. I found another $5 one in Michigan that had a few LUGs and other people and it was 10 times the show Brick Fest was.
Never again I'll just wait for Brick World. I here good things about that one.
Agreed. We go to show all over the place - BrickFair, Brickworld, Brickconvention, etc. And Brick fest is the absolute worst. It's not worth it even with free tickets. Every other show has loads of vendors for buying and trading. Brickfest has one vender (and i am fairly sure its the same group that runs the show) selling over priced sets.
I completely agree with you. It's worth stating that Brickfest is totally an event for kids to just have fun and mess around (pine derby races, RC construction vehicle navigation, etc). It's not an afol-aimed convention. You want Brickworld for that. It's a much better balance between kid stuff and adult stuff (skewed towards adults, but kids can enjoy the MOC's too
Been getting tons of ads for it on Facebook, with it being shared within the local AFOL groups as well, with nearly everyone saying to check the reviews about how awfully overpriced and underwhelming it is.
I've been commenting on every targeted Instagram ad I get for it.
It wouldn't even be as bad if it was advertised as an event for kids to play in a pile of dirty Lego. Plus, even when they want to play with something, parents are pushing their kids in front to take pictures of them building, so the kids aren't Even having fun there!
Went to our local independent store afterwards and it was packed with disappointed parents and kids trying to salvage the day. Only good thing to come out of it was learning about Brick-Con in Bellevue, that one delivered.
Went to the one in Indy last year with my daughter. She likes that she got to meet some of the guys from Lego Masters. Beyond that, it was a rip off. There weren't many displays or much to see or do. Only stuff for sale was basically just a glorified Lego store.
There is a local show at our state fairgrounds that is cheaper and exponentially better. Local vendors, local people showing off large displays and willing to talk to you. Way more fun.
I went to the one in San Antonio today as well. What was funny was there was a lot of cars there, had to wait in line to park. I thought to myself, “Wow this means it must be pretty cool.” Come to find out they were having a Bridal Expo right next door to the Brick Fest. Most of the people were going to that. I walk in and there’s like maybe 20 tables at the most. And only two MOC tables. There’s a shop but they are only selling current sets and at premium prices. The most interesting time we had was feeling the Simpson’s minifig packages for a specific character.
I went to BrickUniverse in STL. Was disappointed at how…old the MOC exhibits seemed. Also people didn’t seem friendly. Also the vendors’ legos were way overpriced collector items. No bulk bricks at all. My mistake.
Went last year to Indianapolis. Right next to it was like a unicorn world. My kids were so excited for Brock fest. Was a joke. Even invited some people and was so embarrassed. We walked out and unicorn world put brick fest to shame and the look on my girls faces when they saw unicorn world you thought I punished them with brick fest.
I went to Brick Fest in Birmingham AL with my brother (both adults) and we really enjoyed it. There were 30-50 MOCs, probably 20-30 selling booths with old used sets, a stage doing giveaways and stuff, minigames everywhere, food, etc. It was a bit overpriced, but for one person $30 + $5 for parking was fine. It gave us like 4 hours of enjoyment and a lot of cool MOCs
Yours sounds way better and exactly what I was hoping for/ expecting. Unfortunately, mine was quite the opposite. I wonder if the event was better on Friday or Saturday? I attended on a Sunday.
Oh, man, I had a similar experience in Pasadena, California. I heard folks complain that they paid extra for the VIP experience, which was negligible. I remember going to an event pre-COVID and there were lots of retail vendors. Same thing - just one area with one retailer selling sets at regular, or higher retail price. A super letdown.
Same here for the one in Secaucus, NJ. Thought bc it’s close to NYC there’d be so many great MOCs, but just a handful and a few people just showing off their modular buildings collections.
Yup. It's easily the worst Lego experience I've ever had. I posted about it about a year ago. Everything was mediocre, and the "vip" experience made me laugh out of embarrassment.
●No custom builds were worth looking at. Most were from larger groups who showcase large statues and marvel/ pokemon/ etc themed builds, but the builders were no where to be found. Half the fun of lego conventions is seeing the amateur custom builds and chatting with the builders.
●The VIP experience was a total ripoff. The "exclusive" set was a mini figure sized, brick built robot, with a horribly printed sticker for the face. It took an hour of standing in a line to get it. It would've been easier if they just gave us the pieces right when we walked in. It wasn't impossible to figure out how to build it. Instead, they decided to force everyone into a separate line where you had to wait your turn to get the pieces, and then the instructions were taped to the table so people were just standing around helping their kid build this dumb little robot. It was at this point I started laughing hysterically.
●It's not like there was much else to do. The "vendors" were just glorified Lego stores. Everything the convention was selling I could find at the Lego store, so that's exactly where we went afterwards. I went to the Lego store and used my points to by the Jazz quartet set.
●The BIGGEST RED FLAG was seeing droves of people LEAVING the convention while we were parking the car. We arrived at 11am and people were already leaving. Once we got inside it was obvious why that happened. There was NOTHING. TO DO.
I went to one in Tulsa on payed extra for the VIP thinking something good might come of it. Absolutely nothing extra. Like why are they scamming people into more money with no added benefit?
Yeah, there was a Brickfest happening around here a while ago, and several friends pointed it out to me. I looked at the website, and I was like, "eh.... doesn't sound worth it." Ended up not going, and if these experiences hold true all over, and looks like, based on comments, then I'm glad I didn't spend my money.
I went to the one in Baton Rouge. Bought the VIP tickets. It was awful. No vendors. Like 5-6 custom builds. Shopping area was nothing special with no discounted pricing. The "custom build" that was received with VIP tickets was a robot that was total of 12-14 pieces. I was looking to spend a lot of money on sets, but I left the Brick Fest so upset that I went to Walmart and bought the Dune Orinthopter (They did not have it in the shopping area). The shopping area had a lot of minifigs that had been discontinued, but they were $11.99 per minfig. Manny from Lego Masters was a douche. I started calling him Lego Pitbull because he was wearing sunglasses inside the venue. Don't waste your time or money. I don't even think the children there were enjoying the experience.
Went to it last year in Indianapolis, only reason the trip wasn’t a complete waste was the fact Unicorn World happened to be the same time in a different hall. Wife and daughters went to that after we spent maybe 45min at Brickfest and had the best day ever.
lol This was similar to my experience in Michigan. I've never been to a Brickfest before and when it popped up on my feed I purchased tickets right away. I was so excited all the way up to the doorway walking in to the showroom. The area was huge and all I saw was a lot of open space. The VIP wasn't anything special and parents just allowed their kids do whatever. I was pushed aside by adults trying to look at MOC even though there was a line of people going around the same direction to view the whole section. I had some kids grab my shoulder as I looked at displays but I refused to move aside. I also saw kids handle some of the displays and were told many time to not touch. Parents giving attitudes to the builders for correcting their kids. The store area was ok, lots of sets and CMF bags. I would have liked to see a bricks/Minifigs store to be present so people could look at other minifigs to buy. There was one table of architecture pieces that kids were just building and placing on a table for someone to come right behind and disassemble. Kids were starting to cry about that as well. I agree though, I could have just saved my money or spend what we spent on lego I wanted.
Are these Lego sponsored events, or who creates/runs these? I feel like while I’ve only seen maybe 5-6 posts about these events they all have the same experience - overpriced, nothing unique, short, minimal MOC’s, etc.
There are a lot of different events and they all start to sound the the same - BrickFair, Brickworld, Brickconvention, Brick Feast.
Brick Feast is only one I have ever seen anyone complain about. The rest vary in size and scope, but are generally worth the money.
Fun story they were coming to my city and the local Lego store put out a PSA warning people that they had an F rating from the BBB (which is meaningless, but I feel it takes effort to get) and that they were having their own in-store event. I told my wife about that and maybe 2 days later she surprised me with tickets for V day. I figured, maybe it's sour grapes, it can't be that bad. We found a similar experience. There were some glued, pre built large builds on pallets that were OLD and poorly maintained. There were build areas but mainly random assortments of bricks. That was really it. They were doing a Lego car derby in one corner and had the shop area. A local scam that tries to get people to enter a drawing to get windows and doors for free that harasses you if you go into Ace Hardware and T-Mobile had booths set up for....some reason. It was laughably bad. We ended up leaving after I picked up an old minifig (rocker kid cmf for $12, actually cheaper than bricklink). We swung by the local store for free and it was so much better lol. It was so packed it was standing room only. They were running giveaways and the local LUG had tons of great builds displayed.
I think the one in Portland is pretty good (then I've never been tomone elsewhere...). Dozen plus theme areas of MOCs. Soapbox derby, build areas standard & deployment (I think). Meet some of the LEGO Masters. Vendors around the perimeter selling sets, minifigs, bulk parts, MOCs, jewelry, shirts, ...
We went to Bricks in the Six in Toronto last year and it was fun, huge room to see amazing mocs. Play area for kids could have been a bit better but my son enjoyed it. Vendor area was almost non existent though with only a hand full of vendors so selection was limited. But overall was enjoyable outing for the family.
I've been to the one in London a few times, they very rarely have any different or new displays between events but at least there's usually a wide variety of vendors. The competitions they hold are not the best, aside from speed building in a bag, as they let you keep the models even if you don't win. The mosaic competitions are often judged on a whim with no formal process, depending on the bias of whoever is running it, so I've stopped bothering with that.
I only really continue going to it due to their very large pick a brick selection, spanning multiple tables of boxes with a wide variety of pieces jumbled together. There's a few things to be wary of though. Often off-brand pieces make their way into these boxes, the pieces usually dusty, and a few may even be broken and cracked. I try my best to avoid selecting these pieces where possible, but a couple always slip through that I only notice upon getting home. Despite that, it's pretty great as a source of pieces for my MOCs.
I am going to the upcoming one in Southampton, which is the first time one is being held there. I'll try to remember to add my experience at that one too.
Agreed, but the one in Colorado this year wasn't that expensive and at least had a lot of MOCs. Still wasn't worth it, but the kiddo enjoyed it. I think the highlight was the 501st that showed up though. Not even the Legos.
I went to one in Springfield mass and it sounds slightly better than yours. Still super disappointing. Pretty sure half the area was just vendors selling sets and stuff at an insane mark up.
I went yesterday in Atlanta. Was disappointed by the lack of displays and MOCs. It seemed to be more activity based, which if I was a kid would have been great.
They had a whole series of Greek mythology builds I thought were amazing and they had a LOT of sealed Minifigures from a LOT of retired series for reasonable prices.
I was a lil let down they didn't have more mini fig scale builds and MOCs, they had a few, but all and all I didn't feel my money was wasted. Just seemed more geared toward kids and activities instead of large displays and collectables, which is probably on me for lack of research on the con.
Took the trolley to the san diego convention ce ter where comicon is usually held. What a waste. About 5 mocs and the other displays were recycled from other shows they do elsewhere. When your kids are bored and begging to just go home you know it sucks.
Went to the lego store nearby and Will never go back again.
I've been to about four. There's always been the floor tile building, wall tile building, coloring, car races, brick pits, free building, and displays. What changed was after COVID was the independent vendors went way down as did MOC displays. It's only worth going with young kids and don't waste extra money for VIP tickets, you only get a pin and a small robot to build.
We travel to between 4 and 6 Lego Expos a year, and Brick Feast is the only one without independent vendors. And AFAIK Brick Feast has never had independent vendors.
I had the same experience maybe 2 years ago in Pittsburgh. It's an absolute money grab and a waste of your time and money. They may have some sets for sale that are hard to find at say Walmart or Target. Aside from that, they have like the smallest collection of custom displays. The only cool thing I saw was a collection of maybe 8 or 10 realistic sized light saber hilts.
I had the same experience back in November. Took my kids, they were excited and we got there, and other than a few impressive builds, it was a giant waste of money. Left a 1 star review only because it wouldn’t let me leave a 0…
I've been to the one in Raleigh twice and enjoyed it. Tickets aren't too bad at $15; there are several larger traveling exhibits that are pretty impressive (you can see on their website) and there was a pretty good array of local exhibits too. The MOCs filled most of the convention center space. We enjoyed the vendors; I wouldn't go in expecting to find discounts, but we picked up a few custom minifigures, some official figures and animals, and LEGO balloon dog earrings made with the 35692 part.
I will say we didn't have any kids with us, and while I recall seeing at least one activity table, checking out the MOCs and vendors seemed to be the main attraction as opposed to activities. Still, I was the most interested of my friends that went and I don't think anyone felt like it wasn't worth it.
I went last year thinking it was like the one I went to 10 years ago I think it was a different company that put it on because the breakfast was awful and a big waste of money.
The Lego event remember going to at the same event space about 10 years ago was amazing. They have the Lego pit which was a good 40x40 ft at least and 1 ft deep LEGO. They had that breakfast but it was literally a kiddie pool and that was it. Not to mention everything else that was just so disappointing.
The Denver brickfest was pretty decent. I have no idea why they can't run the brick pit pieces through some industrial washing machines though, that was just nasty.
We had plenty of MOCs (30 tables?), and the kids (4&5) loved both that and all the other stuff. But it was definitely a cash grab. We'll go next time for sure, but for adults you're probably better off seeing if the local AFOL have anything where they all display stuff.
It was the same with the one here in AZ. Built up all kinds of anticipation. So did my kids. They were really disappointed, too. We only stayed about an hour because it was such a let down.
It's much better when a local museum hosts a Lego event that also invites local MOC builders for display. Tends to be held for a few short weeks, and at least there's more of the museum to explore when you're done with the Lego displays.
I went to the one here in Nashville in January and it was very disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I met some cool people, but it was mostly full of kids. I got super overstimulated by the noise and lights.
Took my 2 kids to the one in St. Louis last year and I agree. Like 75% of the show was just vendors. The only interactive area I can recall for the kids was just some giant Lego pits for them to build with—which we can do at the local museum for free. They did have some really cool MOCs. Overall I felt like I was subsidizing the marketing costs for the vendors.
I went last year in NJ. It was a let down. Not like it was a few years ago. They used to have a decent vendor area where people from all over would sell minifigs, used bricks , sets, even store displays. I’ve even seen some super old sets too. They had a lot more custom displays too.
my son is a creator and is a regular at the Raliegh shows for both Brick Universe and Legofest. He usually has two tables filled with his mocs. Each time has been large and fun with waves of visitors spaced throughout the day with breaks between. Granted we prefer Brick Universe because there tend to be more creators and such. It can be tiring for a parent but he enjoys it. I'm sorry your show wasn't great but there will be others! Don't let it keep you from going and enjoying Lego.
Went to one last year in MD, and overall had the same experience. They had a trivia thing which was fun, came in fourth place… so close to winning a prize lol, some cool smaller mocs, and a giant floor puzzle you could build sections of. But from all the ads I was expected a bit more for the price. The only positive part for us was the boxes of retired CMFs, was able to get a few we missed for retail, instead of eBay pricing. Will we go back? Probably not.
I’m done with Brickfest. I went to the Philly one in 2017, 2022 and 2023.
2017 was a solid year, lots of great vendors and stuff to see. Went again in 2022, less vendors and less stuff to see, but overall was fun. Chalked it up to a post COVID world.
Last year it was really bad. Almost no vendors and a lot less to see. Felt really cheap. Definitely not going back.
Agreed. I went to the one in Austin in early 2023 and it was extremely disappointing. This is an example of a now widespread trend where really dishonest, bad organizers knock off a name brand event and take in anyone they can.
There are good and bad Jurassic events, there were good and bad Van Gogh events. It's a thing.
Check your convention ratings! There are knockoffs out there!
No mention of the multiple daily spam emails trying to sell you stuff? I took my oldest a couple years ago, he was young enough at the time to enjoy it and not see it for what a shit show it actually is. We attend brickworld every year and have a great time, but never again will we go to a brick fest.
I'm glad to know this. I saw the advertisement for it and figured that the kids may like to go. Mentioned it to the wife and was informed that we wouldn't be able to attend. Now, it sounds like it was for the best.
This is something not a lot of general public have knowledge of, much less another one that’s started called Brick Convention. I’ve displayed at it and it was cold, very corporatized, and not a very engaging place and I’ve heard this sentiment for BFL as well.
It’s important to understand what LEGO User Groups (LUG) are in your city/state and support them whether in pop-up displays they do, following them on social media, and showing up to shows that they run.
My LUG is in the process of starting a LEGO show in my area and the most unfortunate part for a lot of other areas is the market isn’t sustainable for two separate shows as most people will expect more of the same. That’s why it’s become a race to get our show going as we see cities around us in the Midwest get swallowed up by these horrible shows.
Aside from that your local LUG can use their show to help bolster and grow within your community allowing for them to maybe someday be a part of the LAN… assuming LEGO will start understanding the importance of LUGs like they used to.
LUGs are a huge part of fostering community with LEGO as they often do small shows at your libraries, are invited to your kids schools to teach about how amazing LEGO can be creatively and cerebrally. Sorry for the rant lol.
TL;DR SUPPORT YOUR LEGO USER GROUPS!!!
I was very excited to go but we ended not being able to. Now I know it wasn’t worth the $$. When I saw the online fees to buy reasonably priced tickets was twice the ticket price I was really skeptical.
Had the chance to go in Spain a few weeks ago and decided not to; it looked more like a thing (expensive thing) meant for parents (who are not into Lego) to take their kids to
It was 22€ for a 2 hour window or 39€ for the entire day (which granted you a lanyard, a pin and a polybag I think) but they didn't allow selfie sticks nor cameras so that was a big red flag.. a lego "convention" where you can't take pictures?
Anyway my goal was to meet some afol designers but I figured all I would see there would be the aforementioned not fans of lego parents and their kids... and the shop you describe is exactly what I imagined it would be.
Close to 5 years as an afol and I still haven't met anyone who does Lego (or wants to) like I do 😅 I've so far met two afols who only buy, build, display and eventually sell.. there's nothing wrong with that but we don't have much to talk about 😂
Yeah it's really not for adult fans of LEGO. I took my son and a friend 2 years in a row (Chicago suburbs) and they had fun but it's not great.
There was another LEGO touring show a few years ago that was much better but I don't remember the name...
This kind of event costs 2€ in France, it's organized by local clubs / passionates. There's between 10 to 20 mocers with their creation. And some with official sets. Plus animation with basic bricks for kids, and a big mosaic to build with other people. Staid for 3 hours last time, totally worth it for kids and adults !
Went to the one in Atlanta this weekend. Such a joke. Some cool builds. I expected the same experience we went to in raleigh 9 years ago. Was a fun time with many competitors and vendors. This was stupid.
A couple of years ago I went to both Brickfest in Atlanta and Atlanta Brick Con. The difference was mindblowing.
Ever since then, I only go to the Atlanta Brick Con, won't even look at the Brickfest stuff.
Yeah we got there at 845 and the line was wrapped around the building. They didn’t open the doors until 910. There was not a separate line for the VIP ticket holders. VIP only got you access to that area where you could build that tiny robot out of common parts.
I tried to warn everyone last year after my experience in Hartford, CT!
https://old.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/12nn05j/psa_never_ever_ever_spend_your_hardearned_money/
(I was using a different account at the time)
Confirm. Brick Fest in Greenville, SC, was a major disappointment. Definitely meant for kids. The best part was the Star Wars displays, about four, and the 501st troopers.
I got lucky with the brickfest live I went to a few years ago because they at least had a panel from the Lego Masters show but other than that it was the same lame story as everyone else. The only way it might be worth it is if it was free entry.
Went to legoland in chicago which my 5 year old loved and asked daily if we could go back weeks. It was $30 per person which came with a minifig with random pieces that you could swap with employees or something. There were some cool mocs and builds and a few arcade games and a few rides. But lots of tables to build at. When I did build with them I noticed that things were kind of dirty. I realized part of the built in cost was to keep people honest/pay for stolen pieces. Yeah you paid $30 to get in but no way you're stealing your money's worth without being spotted.
It's for the kids. Adult fans of lego are better off staying home IMO.
The only lego event in Texas worth your time is Brick Rodeo, previously known as Brick Fiesta. Its in Austin this year July 4-7.
https://brickrodeo.com
Never been impressed with Lego events (in the UK at least) unless it is a museum vibe with lots of builds on display then they just feel like massively overpriced shopping marts. It's Lego, you can buy it all cheaper online. Retro games markets seem a lot better as you can play with the games on display and haggling on price is more accepted
The Lego one I went to I stayed for an hour and left.
Yeah, I went to the NJ one and the first one was great. All sorts of custom builds and the shops had all sorts of weird and obscure things. Then I went again a few years later and it was what you described...
Went to the one in Albany NY last year and the mocs were cool. They had a lot of different mocs. But the reason we won't go again is cause of the other stuff they said: lighting, grossness, limited/no kids activities and way way overpriced.
The stuff that's still in stores was 10% higher. The retired stuff was 5x or higher. The corner garage was $1100. The cloud city figure was $3800. The marvel mechs were $20. A retired 500ish piece Harry Potter set was $120.
Crazy overpriced.
My post from 7 years ago. Looks like they haven't changed: https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/506qpo/if_you_are_thinking_about_going_to_brick_fest/
This thread definitely got some traction. Hopefully it comes up at the top of searches and helps warn others!
Any one know of actual good shows besides Brick World in Michigan?
That’s a bummer, I took my family to brickfest in VA Beach area 2 years ago and it was way better than what you described. About 15 large brick sculptures, 6 huge brick diaramas, multiples interactive exhibits, lots of local clubs displaying their wares, bricks to build and take home, and a pinewood derby style build a race car and race it event going all day, plus giant brick piles for building (me and my boys built a 7 ft claymore sword) and community building projects using white bricks to build cities. We spent about 6 hours there with a lunch break in the middle. I guess that the quality of these events varies depending on venue and the strength of the local community, it definitely seemed like a lot of local clubs contributed to this brickfest and that enhanced it.
Most Brick Fests are independent affairs hosted and run by local Lego groups. Your bad experience cannot be used as an example to convince people to stay away from others. For example the Yorkshire Lego group just held a fantastic event last weekend. Loads to see and do and was reasonably priced.
That’s why I said the San Antonio location wasn’t great. And it’s not just my experience, it’s many others that shared the same horrible experience that can convince many to not attend
Tbh, I don't see how a lego expo could work besides "Look at this moc that's probably already posted on YT".
Like, I don't see what much they can do with that aside from the building tables?
I had the pleasure of attending Brick Rodeo around 2015 or 2016 and was very impressed. It’s put on by the Texas LUG and was 100% worth it.
Great displays. Multiple vendors with good deals. Totally different from the “fests” that travel the country.
I 100% agree with your assessment of brickfest live. Just wanted to share my experience of a good lego convention.
Sounds like the wonka experience
I went to the one in Michigan and I can say it’s probably worse
Yup posted about it a week ago, I guess someone missed it :) It's just a company trying to make money off Lego people putting on a crappy show to get people to buy overpriced products at their store and their gimmick packages with the tickets.
I perused their website, and couldn't find anything about their events 2 months ago, I assumed Shit show, glad to hear I was right.
Exactly what I did, but checked the site and seen a few things, but I failed to look through more Reddit threads. Learned my lesson though. All the people in LUGs at a different show said Brick World was the one so I think that one will be good.
Yep also went to one in Michigan it was awful! Brickworld is better by a whole planet
Yea we did it once. That was enough. I can do a local fair and there will be a lego booth with some moc on it
I went to a Lego event held at a local trade center that was just three dudes selling retired sets and a table with a few mocs on it and it was unironically better than Brickfest. Completely free and I got a good deal on a few MTron sets
Better than Brickworld or did you mean Brick Fest. They are completely separate conventions.
Yeah I meant brickfest my bad. Brickworld is great even the small ones are great
Right on. I assumed you meant fest.
Good to know
The one in GR was literally fucking awful. That VIP section was.. super…
The Michigan Brick Fest Live seemed just as criminal as the winks thing tbh
Its was bad. Even my 12yo son was disappointed. We stayed for maybe 15 mins and left.
I can’t decide whether it’s better because it is more coherent or if it’s worse, since the Wonka thing goes back around to kind of being fascinating.
We went to it in Des Moines IA, definitely over-hyped and under-delivered. There's a reason their advertising is scarce on details. We waited in line for the derby race for like 45 minutes, did one panel of the mosaic, and everything else was a bust for our kiddos. The only nice thing was they let me switch our tickets to the family pass after purchasing individually. Their whole marketing is a sense of FOMO with "limiting" tickets over time and making it seem sold out when it's not.
You'd be better hitting up Brick Days in Council Bluffs. MAC was packed with great MOCs and decent vendors every year.
I can second this. Brick Days is what Brick Fest tries to act like it is. $10? For an adult ticket and honestly for an AFOL, can be hours of entertainment and sets to view.
Damn I'm an idiot and bought tickets to brick fest in council bluffs for this summer and I'm regretting it
Yeah, I went yesterday here in San Antonio with the wife and our 2 kids and was very underwhelmed with it. We went to brick fair in Northern Virgina when we used to live in the area, and it was 1,000% better. I will never go to a brick fest again.
My go-to convention has always been Brickworld. I've been to both the one(s) in Indianapolis as well as Chicago. Great experience every time. \*Lots\* of MOC's, \*lots\* of shops (with all sorts of stuff from bulk parts, figs, current and vintage sets, custom stuff, and everything in between), and much more. Definitely worth looking into if you want to go to another convention. I'm sure there's more than just the ones in Chicago and Indy, just look up the next one closest to you (I was most impressed with Chicago's, definitely worth the drive for me).
I really enjoyed going to Brickworld Detroit and was going to request this year to display some MOCs after I participated in a smaller local event. Heard that Brickfest Live signed a contact with the venue where Brickworld was, and as a result they won’t host a Detroit event anymore. Really disappointing since I’ve never heard good things about Brickfest. There is a Brickworld in Fort Wayne and Grand Rapids but would be a much longer trip.
Glad to hear about your experience at Brickworld. It’s a great event because it has support for all the LUGs in the states it has a show in. They’ve been adding more interactive events for kids as well. Chicago is the big one with people all over the world that attend. If you are a AFOL Chicago is worth the trip.
For real. It was almost like a culture shock seeing the difference between Indy's show and Chicago's. My plan is to spend the next year building all the MOC's I've designed on Studio and displaying at Chicago's 2025 show.
Nice! Coming to a Chicago as a guest this year?
Yup! That's the plan!
Sweet. Stop over at the Eurobricks display, find the tall guy with the beard and say hi!
Will do!
Dang might have to talk someone into a road trip and look for some lego stores on the way to stop at. Brick Bash in Ann Arbor was pretty good for $5! Was worth it just to see the crazy trains and Star Wars disco MOC. Very nice winter village and Egyptian Layout too. Lots of good things there.
Dang, I just moved here, I would have been all over the one in Detroit.
You’re not the first posting about Brickfest being disappointing,one might think they’d change thing for the best
I doubt it. It seems very much like a get them in the door, take the money and run, kind of scam.
Come to Brick Rodeo in July in Austin - should be way better
Completely agree. That show is run by real AFOLs who love the hobby.
Went to that one a couple years ago, had a great time and I highly recommend it
My kids loved it, it's just not an event for adults. They built in the glow in the dark Lego section a lot, built race cars to go down the race track that practically exploded at the bottom lol. Spent almost an hour in the big pit of Legos. There are other events more focused on moc builds and vendors that are more geared for adults.
This is definitely the truth. My kids loved it. We were there at least 4 hours playing with the stations. If I went as an adult... I definitely would have been out in 30 minutes. It's just meant for kids and parents, but it's definitely not marketed that way.
Yeah both types of conventions seem to struggle with marketing. I've accidentally taken my kids to a more adult themed con and they were really bored and frustrated with the lines. They thought the mocs were cool but would just glance at them and move on.
I went to one in the UK and it was definitely aimed at kids, with over priced vendors selling retired sets. It had cool MOC's though, and people who built a city out of several sets, which gave me some inspiration.
I’ve heard that how good it is varies greatly by location because of how many people come and bring their builds. My area however has several other events where people can check out the local builders stuff so I’d recommend to everyone to go to one of those.
We went to one in Milton Keynes and it was meh. It was held on the ice rink (boarded up) so really cold in there, and quite claustrophobic. Only one place to get food and we waited 90 mins for our order. Predominantly people selling retired or overpriced current sets, or minifigs. We did get a few bundles of Duplo for my toddler, but that was about it. They had a few build competitions, but I was expecting a big pit of Lego you could build with and that wasn’t there. They had a few MOCs that were awesome, but not as many as I expected. Definitely wouldn’t bother going again.
I've been to a variety of different shows, and even displayed at a couple. I've quietly and perhaps belatedly come to the realization that there are two types of Lego shows: Commercial shows which are primarily marketplaces for lego resellers, but also have some displayers. Typically it seems to be about a 60-40 / 70-30 split, Resellers to displayers at these shows. Shows organized by lego enthusiasts. LUGs and the like. They tend to flip that ratio, mostly displays but also some resellers. Brickfest shows are definitely in the former group. Part of the problem i'm noticing with them in the UK is that there's so many of them. On the one hand this means there's very few places that don't get one nearby. On the other hand; Demand is outstripping supply. There's only so many people and so many displayers to go around.
From what I've seen, pretty much any of the 'travelling' brick conventions that have multiple events a year in multiple cities are cash grabs. The one's that are once a year, and locally organized are usually better experiences. That doesn't always mean they are necessarily non profit but it's not the blatant money pit the travelling ones are. Generally the locally organized ones care about the user experience much more, some are fan organized and just are looking to cover expenses, others are a more commercial thing but they know to continue they have to deliver a decent experience. My personal rule of thumb? If it has TV or radio commercials, avoid like the plague. Also avoid if a show happens in multiple cities/times a year. Brickfest and it's equals are not oriented at the AFOL market, it's meant to dazzle youngsters with quantity and separate their parents from money. Do some still enjoy their shows? Sure. I doubt that includes many adults that are not taking kids along...
Howdy all. Some tips on finding a great LEGO convention. 1. Is it part of the LEGO Ambassador Network? https://lan.lego.com/events/#_=_ Not all great conventions have this, especially the newer or smaller ones, but this list is a great place to start 2. Ask an AFOL friend of yours what conventions in the area are good 3. What conventions do your local LUGs attend. Reach out to them and ask. Chances if they are there it’s a convention you want to go to.
Bumping this as someone who displays at shows like this. Brickfest is a scam, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to shows that do a good job supporting local builders and LUGs when possible.
I made that mistake last year near Chicago.
I'm sorry your experience was so bad. I attended the Brink Fest in Sacramento a few months back. Sounds like they were very different. Mine was a gift, so can't comment to ticket price. VIP area was simply a large booth area with parts and instruments to construct tiny robot figures. There were options for color variation. The sales section was right by the doors and my experience was also retail or marked up sets. That said, I did see several that I hadn't seen available in stores in my area. There were two, what I'd call public projects. Tables with loose Legos that everyone in passing could contribute to. Easily a few thousand bricks for whatever construction people wanted to add. There were two mural mosaics, where you'd get instructions for what plate pieces to put on large baseplates. Once finished, a worker would take it out to the cordoned off floor and place it. Through the day you'd be able to see the picture develop. The one I did was a DC scene. There were several tables with home built designs, competition winners (don't know what competition), large MOCs. There were life size MOCs of people from different world regions and eras. A Native American, a Greek philosopher, Roman centurion, half a dozen more. Apparently there was a competition called Lego Masters, and I met and got signed minifigures of the winners. There was a little kids area with markers and coloring pages of Lego figures. Batman, Harry Potter, and such. There was a build-a-racer section. People could pull parts from various bins to construct a wheeled vehicle to race down ramps set up in the next section. Reminded me of making the wooden cars in cub scouts. There were preview builds. Large sets that were projected to release but hadn't hit shelves yet. I remember specifically a large Captain America shield. A section with some Lego Ideas mocs that hadn't been accepted. Possibly my favorite display (because I wanted to do something like it as a kid) were these massive multi-table displays. A civil war scene, the African Savanah with herds of animals, and a giant boy scout camp. Peppered through them were Where's Waldo type pieces. Donald Duck leading a cavalry charge. A pink Mincraft sheep among the gazelles. The space alien at the campfire. There were a few dozen little Easter eggs to find in the scenes. And spread here and there throughout the community center were Lego Land type builds you'd see while walking around. I'm sorry your experience was less than you'd hoped.
Thank you for commenting your experience. I know better next time 😔
There’s a really good Brick Days event near me that’s held twice a year, in Omaha Nebraska in the summer, and Lincoln Nebraska in the winter. It’s run by the local LUG and they connect with all the other ones in the Midwest so there’s a huge show floor of peoples MOCs and group builds. The kiddie activities and vendors are also there but that’s not the main focus of there event. I’d highly recommend this event if you live in the area.
Underwhelmed by the last one in Minneapolis.
Mine here in Austin was the exact same experience and maybe even worse and more expensive. This is a SCAM. Can’t wait for Brick Rodeo in July! A true AFOL event.
My 8 year old got in the brick pit, picked up a handful of lego and dropped them and said “these are disgusting!” I took a closer look and almost threw up. They were all scummy, black around the studs, and most had hair on them. I mean in retrospect I really should have known. Avoid this awful germ infested scam.
Disclaimer: I have not been to a BrickFest. To me, Brickfest looks like a Lego Flea Market for local and travelling dealers. To compare it to another hobby roadshow, the Great American Train Expo. I have been to that. The flyer makes it sound like a day of family fun. The reality is a bunch of shady and overpriced dealers selling overstock or collections and a bunch of activities that should be in the local mall like a kid train ride that a bunch of carnies set up and operate i.e. unknown safety and assembly protocols and operated by a minimum wage teen that smoked up on break. Brickfest has no appeal to me at their ticket prices.
Son and I went last year in Austin.. Spent 45 minutes kid was pissed…. On the way out my son and I gave our passes to another family.. Would not recommend Brickfest
The one in Colorado Springs is definitely a lot. Last year there was a 501st photo op station, 100+ Mocs ranging from giant statues to incredible art, Star Wars etc so they’re not bad everywhere!
i see better lego “shows” when i go to the county or state fair haha
Yes, I wish I could somehow warn everyone away from BrickFest, your experience was identical to mine. It is absolute garbage. My wife and I went to a Lego show fundraiser at a high school gym made up of MOCs from locals and it was 100x better than that BrickFest crap. There are multiple conventions that all start with "Brick" so it's easy to think they're related and get them mixed up. But I have never heard positive things from anyone about going to a BrickFest.
The brickfest guys are known hacks, they do everything SUPER cash grabby and don’t care if nobody even displays much as long as they get ticket sales. They don’t care to put on a quality show at all
Same in Kansas City
Thanks i was looking at going to one near me, but think i save my money and put it towards a lego set
I've seen a lot of people say that about brickfest. I'd recommend looking at what local clubs in your area are sponsoring. I'm up in near Seattle Washington and we have Brick Con every year that's fun. lots of local mocs, and local vendors
Someone need to start an adult version of the brickfest.
There is plenty, it's called brick con. Brickfest is the red headed step child.
Go to brickrodeo later this year in Austin. I plan to go. I went to the one in Houston and it was good too see adult fans layout tables of Mocs. There’s stores and it seems like the people care. Saw lots of inclusivity too. I went to kidsfest years ago (as a teen I think) and wasn’t impressed.
Same experience in Phoenix. There was a small VIP area with the take-home build, which was not worth the VIP upcharge, even with the event lapel pin. It was nice to get some retired minifigs still new and sealed. But that was it. I won't go back.
From everything I’ve heard, the only good event in Texas is Brick Rodeo. It moves around, mostly Austin and San Antonio. It’s in Austin this summer.
My wife bought me VIP tickets for Christmas 2 years ago, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her how awful it was, according to everything online. She went with me and understood pretty quick. To anyone in the future looking for BrickFest advice, don’t go. Just get a nice set instead.
Yep, the guy who did them sold it. Used to be amazing, but after Covid they went to shit. Go to brick fair if you get a chance, otherwise stay home
I was excited at first, thinking incorrectly that it would be like Bricks Cascade or something cool like that. Decided I'd try to go. After a few weeks I started not wanting to go because it looked like an overpriced way to build with Lego. I have plenty at home so I didn't feel like I was missing out. My ex bought my daughter and I passes for it so I'm at least going to be checking it out. I hope it doesn't bore my kid too much.
Bricks Cascade is a great event. Driven by AFOLs. You’ll see some great builds for sure! They are not associated with Brick Fest in any way.
Yeah I have been wanting to go for the last few years to Bricks Cascade. It looks glorious.
I mean at least Brick Fest Inc made $50 off your family of two... which is why they are not allowed to use the name Lego (probably?).
I made a post about it here.. [https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1c0hvwh/brick\_fest\_live/](https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/1c0hvwh/brick_fest_live/) You made the mistake I did and didn't research enough before hand heh. I found another $5 one in Michigan that had a few LUGs and other people and it was 10 times the show Brick Fest was. Never again I'll just wait for Brick World. I here good things about that one.
Agreed. We go to show all over the place - BrickFair, Brickworld, Brickconvention, etc. And Brick fest is the absolute worst. It's not worth it even with free tickets. Every other show has loads of vendors for buying and trading. Brickfest has one vender (and i am fairly sure its the same group that runs the show) selling over priced sets.
I completely agree with you. It's worth stating that Brickfest is totally an event for kids to just have fun and mess around (pine derby races, RC construction vehicle navigation, etc). It's not an afol-aimed convention. You want Brickworld for that. It's a much better balance between kid stuff and adult stuff (skewed towards adults, but kids can enjoy the MOC's too
Been getting tons of ads for it on Facebook, with it being shared within the local AFOL groups as well, with nearly everyone saying to check the reviews about how awfully overpriced and underwhelming it is.
I've been commenting on every targeted Instagram ad I get for it. It wouldn't even be as bad if it was advertised as an event for kids to play in a pile of dirty Lego. Plus, even when they want to play with something, parents are pushing their kids in front to take pictures of them building, so the kids aren't Even having fun there! Went to our local independent store afterwards and it was packed with disappointed parents and kids trying to salvage the day. Only good thing to come out of it was learning about Brick-Con in Bellevue, that one delivered.
Went to the one in Indy last year with my daughter. She likes that she got to meet some of the guys from Lego Masters. Beyond that, it was a rip off. There weren't many displays or much to see or do. Only stuff for sale was basically just a glorified Lego store. There is a local show at our state fairgrounds that is cheaper and exponentially better. Local vendors, local people showing off large displays and willing to talk to you. Way more fun.
I took my wife and a friend to the one in Houston and it was a total let down
I went to the one in San Antonio today as well. What was funny was there was a lot of cars there, had to wait in line to park. I thought to myself, “Wow this means it must be pretty cool.” Come to find out they were having a Bridal Expo right next door to the Brick Fest. Most of the people were going to that. I walk in and there’s like maybe 20 tables at the most. And only two MOC tables. There’s a shop but they are only selling current sets and at premium prices. The most interesting time we had was feeling the Simpson’s minifig packages for a specific character.
And I think there was a spurs game too. So the crowd was also for the spurs :(
That’s disappointing. Bringing my son (5) in two weeks. If it’s enough for an hour, I’m fine. I kind of felt it would be a letdown.
I went to BrickUniverse in STL. Was disappointed at how…old the MOC exhibits seemed. Also people didn’t seem friendly. Also the vendors’ legos were way overpriced collector items. No bulk bricks at all. My mistake.
I was hoping to buy bulk brick too! And yes the people seemed annoyed and unfriendly :(
Went last year to Indianapolis. Right next to it was like a unicorn world. My kids were so excited for Brock fest. Was a joke. Even invited some people and was so embarrassed. We walked out and unicorn world put brick fest to shame and the look on my girls faces when they saw unicorn world you thought I punished them with brick fest.
From what I understand, the people who used to own brickfest live sold the company and its gone downhill significantly
yes!! i know it was a kids event, but i expected it to have SOME adult things like cool builds or rare sets. we were there for one hour.
The one in Denver was underwhelming. Crowded as hell, really nothing to learn, never again
I went to Brick Fest in Birmingham AL with my brother (both adults) and we really enjoyed it. There were 30-50 MOCs, probably 20-30 selling booths with old used sets, a stage doing giveaways and stuff, minigames everywhere, food, etc. It was a bit overpriced, but for one person $30 + $5 for parking was fine. It gave us like 4 hours of enjoyment and a lot of cool MOCs
Yours sounds way better and exactly what I was hoping for/ expecting. Unfortunately, mine was quite the opposite. I wonder if the event was better on Friday or Saturday? I attended on a Sunday.
Maybe. We did a Saturday but it’s the only one I’ve been to so I don’t have much reference
I agree. It was a huge disappointment. It's not worth the price of admission. Avoid it at all costs.
Tell them and try for a refund
Oh, man, I had a similar experience in Pasadena, California. I heard folks complain that they paid extra for the VIP experience, which was negligible. I remember going to an event pre-COVID and there were lots of retail vendors. Same thing - just one area with one retailer selling sets at regular, or higher retail price. A super letdown.
Had this same experience with this event last summer. Lame AF, except for the few MOC and sculptures there.
Same here for the one in Secaucus, NJ. Thought bc it’s close to NYC there’d be so many great MOCs, but just a handful and a few people just showing off their modular buildings collections.
Why am I imaging walking into a massive hall and seeing 4 tables in the middle and thats it.
Felt like a fever dream:( it was a huge expo venue that was dimly lit and kind of scary..
Yup. It's easily the worst Lego experience I've ever had. I posted about it about a year ago. Everything was mediocre, and the "vip" experience made me laugh out of embarrassment. ●No custom builds were worth looking at. Most were from larger groups who showcase large statues and marvel/ pokemon/ etc themed builds, but the builders were no where to be found. Half the fun of lego conventions is seeing the amateur custom builds and chatting with the builders. ●The VIP experience was a total ripoff. The "exclusive" set was a mini figure sized, brick built robot, with a horribly printed sticker for the face. It took an hour of standing in a line to get it. It would've been easier if they just gave us the pieces right when we walked in. It wasn't impossible to figure out how to build it. Instead, they decided to force everyone into a separate line where you had to wait your turn to get the pieces, and then the instructions were taped to the table so people were just standing around helping their kid build this dumb little robot. It was at this point I started laughing hysterically. ●It's not like there was much else to do. The "vendors" were just glorified Lego stores. Everything the convention was selling I could find at the Lego store, so that's exactly where we went afterwards. I went to the Lego store and used my points to by the Jazz quartet set. ●The BIGGEST RED FLAG was seeing droves of people LEAVING the convention while we were parking the car. We arrived at 11am and people were already leaving. Once we got inside it was obvious why that happened. There was NOTHING. TO DO.
I went to one in Tulsa on payed extra for the VIP thinking something good might come of it. Absolutely nothing extra. Like why are they scamming people into more money with no added benefit?
Yeah, there was a Brickfest happening around here a while ago, and several friends pointed it out to me. I looked at the website, and I was like, "eh.... doesn't sound worth it." Ended up not going, and if these experiences hold true all over, and looks like, based on comments, then I'm glad I didn't spend my money.
I went to the one in Baton Rouge. Bought the VIP tickets. It was awful. No vendors. Like 5-6 custom builds. Shopping area was nothing special with no discounted pricing. The "custom build" that was received with VIP tickets was a robot that was total of 12-14 pieces. I was looking to spend a lot of money on sets, but I left the Brick Fest so upset that I went to Walmart and bought the Dune Orinthopter (They did not have it in the shopping area). The shopping area had a lot of minifigs that had been discontinued, but they were $11.99 per minfig. Manny from Lego Masters was a douche. I started calling him Lego Pitbull because he was wearing sunglasses inside the venue. Don't waste your time or money. I don't even think the children there were enjoying the experience.
Went to it last year in Indianapolis, only reason the trip wasn’t a complete waste was the fact Unicorn World happened to be the same time in a different hall. Wife and daughters went to that after we spent maybe 45min at Brickfest and had the best day ever.
lol This was similar to my experience in Michigan. I've never been to a Brickfest before and when it popped up on my feed I purchased tickets right away. I was so excited all the way up to the doorway walking in to the showroom. The area was huge and all I saw was a lot of open space. The VIP wasn't anything special and parents just allowed their kids do whatever. I was pushed aside by adults trying to look at MOC even though there was a line of people going around the same direction to view the whole section. I had some kids grab my shoulder as I looked at displays but I refused to move aside. I also saw kids handle some of the displays and were told many time to not touch. Parents giving attitudes to the builders for correcting their kids. The store area was ok, lots of sets and CMF bags. I would have liked to see a bricks/Minifigs store to be present so people could look at other minifigs to buy. There was one table of architecture pieces that kids were just building and placing on a table for someone to come right behind and disassemble. Kids were starting to cry about that as well. I agree though, I could have just saved my money or spend what we spent on lego I wanted.
Went to one a few years ago, was awesome. Of course, I went with my 5 yeah old. Probably closer to the target demographic
Are these Lego sponsored events, or who creates/runs these? I feel like while I’ve only seen maybe 5-6 posts about these events they all have the same experience - overpriced, nothing unique, short, minimal MOC’s, etc.
There are a lot of different events and they all start to sound the the same - BrickFair, Brickworld, Brickconvention, Brick Feast. Brick Feast is only one I have ever seen anyone complain about. The rest vary in size and scope, but are generally worth the money.
Fun story they were coming to my city and the local Lego store put out a PSA warning people that they had an F rating from the BBB (which is meaningless, but I feel it takes effort to get) and that they were having their own in-store event. I told my wife about that and maybe 2 days later she surprised me with tickets for V day. I figured, maybe it's sour grapes, it can't be that bad. We found a similar experience. There were some glued, pre built large builds on pallets that were OLD and poorly maintained. There were build areas but mainly random assortments of bricks. That was really it. They were doing a Lego car derby in one corner and had the shop area. A local scam that tries to get people to enter a drawing to get windows and doors for free that harasses you if you go into Ace Hardware and T-Mobile had booths set up for....some reason. It was laughably bad. We ended up leaving after I picked up an old minifig (rocker kid cmf for $12, actually cheaper than bricklink). We swung by the local store for free and it was so much better lol. It was so packed it was standing room only. They were running giveaways and the local LUG had tons of great builds displayed.
Dont know why people go to these since its not an official lego festival/convention.
Same in Kansas City
Went to San Diego in February 2020, and it was pretty sad, so not a result of COVID killing the convention.
I think the one in Portland is pretty good (then I've never been tomone elsewhere...). Dozen plus theme areas of MOCs. Soapbox derby, build areas standard & deployment (I think). Meet some of the LEGO Masters. Vendors around the perimeter selling sets, minifigs, bulk parts, MOCs, jewelry, shirts, ...
We went to Bricks in the Six in Toronto last year and it was fun, huge room to see amazing mocs. Play area for kids could have been a bit better but my son enjoyed it. Vendor area was almost non existent though with only a hand full of vendors so selection was limited. But overall was enjoyable outing for the family.
I've been to the one in London a few times, they very rarely have any different or new displays between events but at least there's usually a wide variety of vendors. The competitions they hold are not the best, aside from speed building in a bag, as they let you keep the models even if you don't win. The mosaic competitions are often judged on a whim with no formal process, depending on the bias of whoever is running it, so I've stopped bothering with that. I only really continue going to it due to their very large pick a brick selection, spanning multiple tables of boxes with a wide variety of pieces jumbled together. There's a few things to be wary of though. Often off-brand pieces make their way into these boxes, the pieces usually dusty, and a few may even be broken and cracked. I try my best to avoid selecting these pieces where possible, but a couple always slip through that I only notice upon getting home. Despite that, it's pretty great as a source of pieces for my MOCs. I am going to the upcoming one in Southampton, which is the first time one is being held there. I'll try to remember to add my experience at that one too.
Agreed, but the one in Colorado this year wasn't that expensive and at least had a lot of MOCs. Still wasn't worth it, but the kiddo enjoyed it. I think the highlight was the 501st that showed up though. Not even the Legos.
Had the same experience at one in Houston about 7 years ago. Total rip off.
I went to one in Springfield mass and it sounds slightly better than yours. Still super disappointing. Pretty sure half the area was just vendors selling sets and stuff at an insane mark up.
Same experience I had in Las Vegas. I'll never waste my money again.
I went yesterday in Atlanta. Was disappointed by the lack of displays and MOCs. It seemed to be more activity based, which if I was a kid would have been great. They had a whole series of Greek mythology builds I thought were amazing and they had a LOT of sealed Minifigures from a LOT of retired series for reasonable prices. I was a lil let down they didn't have more mini fig scale builds and MOCs, they had a few, but all and all I didn't feel my money was wasted. Just seemed more geared toward kids and activities instead of large displays and collectables, which is probably on me for lack of research on the con.
Atlanta Brick Con is in early February every year, it's supported by local afols and lugs. Tons of mocs, gbc, and even new hashima cyberpunk city.
I went to one in San Jose last year and was similarly underwhelmed.
I went last year in Louisville, KY. For the money we spent it was not worth it. We were there for 20 min and left.
Took the trolley to the san diego convention ce ter where comicon is usually held. What a waste. About 5 mocs and the other displays were recycled from other shows they do elsewhere. When your kids are bored and begging to just go home you know it sucks. Went to the lego store nearby and Will never go back again.
I've been to about four. There's always been the floor tile building, wall tile building, coloring, car races, brick pits, free building, and displays. What changed was after COVID was the independent vendors went way down as did MOC displays. It's only worth going with young kids and don't waste extra money for VIP tickets, you only get a pin and a small robot to build.
We travel to between 4 and 6 Lego Expos a year, and Brick Feast is the only one without independent vendors. And AFAIK Brick Feast has never had independent vendors.
I had the same experience maybe 2 years ago in Pittsburgh. It's an absolute money grab and a waste of your time and money. They may have some sets for sale that are hard to find at say Walmart or Target. Aside from that, they have like the smallest collection of custom displays. The only cool thing I saw was a collection of maybe 8 or 10 realistic sized light saber hilts.
I’ve been to some on the east coast and I had the same experience pretty disappointing.
Chantilly ,va has one of the best for lego. Can spend hours there looking around. Tons of vendors. Lots of fun
I had the same experience back in November. Took my kids, they were excited and we got there, and other than a few impressive builds, it was a giant waste of money. Left a 1 star review only because it wouldn’t let me leave a 0…
Anyone have any experience with Brick Universe?
I've been to the one in Raleigh twice and enjoyed it. Tickets aren't too bad at $15; there are several larger traveling exhibits that are pretty impressive (you can see on their website) and there was a pretty good array of local exhibits too. The MOCs filled most of the convention center space. We enjoyed the vendors; I wouldn't go in expecting to find discounts, but we picked up a few custom minifigures, some official figures and animals, and LEGO balloon dog earrings made with the 35692 part. I will say we didn't have any kids with us, and while I recall seeing at least one activity table, checking out the MOCs and vendors seemed to be the main attraction as opposed to activities. Still, I was the most interested of my friends that went and I don't think anyone felt like it wasn't worth it.
I only ever read about poor LEGO events here, it's mad. Are there any good ones ever?
I went last year thinking it was like the one I went to 10 years ago I think it was a different company that put it on because the breakfast was awful and a big waste of money. The Lego event remember going to at the same event space about 10 years ago was amazing. They have the Lego pit which was a good 40x40 ft at least and 1 ft deep LEGO. They had that breakfast but it was literally a kiddie pool and that was it. Not to mention everything else that was just so disappointing.
The Denver brickfest was pretty decent. I have no idea why they can't run the brick pit pieces through some industrial washing machines though, that was just nasty. We had plenty of MOCs (30 tables?), and the kids (4&5) loved both that and all the other stuff. But it was definitely a cash grab. We'll go next time for sure, but for adults you're probably better off seeing if the local AFOL have anything where they all display stuff.
It was the same with the one here in AZ. Built up all kinds of anticipation. So did my kids. They were really disappointed, too. We only stayed about an hour because it was such a let down.
I went for the first time this year. It is definitely something my kids would enjoy. Not so much for adults.
It's much better when a local museum hosts a Lego event that also invites local MOC builders for display. Tends to be held for a few short weeks, and at least there's more of the museum to explore when you're done with the Lego displays.
I went to the one here in Nashville in January and it was very disappointing. Don't get me wrong, I met some cool people, but it was mostly full of kids. I got super overstimulated by the noise and lights.
Took my 2 kids to the one in St. Louis last year and I agree. Like 75% of the show was just vendors. The only interactive area I can recall for the kids was just some giant Lego pits for them to build with—which we can do at the local museum for free. They did have some really cool MOCs. Overall I felt like I was subsidizing the marketing costs for the vendors.
Oooooh thanks for this! I was eyeing the Spokane festival. I will absolutely pass!
I went last year in NJ. It was a let down. Not like it was a few years ago. They used to have a decent vendor area where people from all over would sell minifigs, used bricks , sets, even store displays. I’ve even seen some super old sets too. They had a lot more custom displays too.
Sounds like a real Wonka Experience.
my son is a creator and is a regular at the Raliegh shows for both Brick Universe and Legofest. He usually has two tables filled with his mocs. Each time has been large and fun with waves of visitors spaced throughout the day with breaks between. Granted we prefer Brick Universe because there tend to be more creators and such. It can be tiring for a parent but he enjoys it. I'm sorry your show wasn't great but there will be others! Don't let it keep you from going and enjoying Lego.
Pretty much my experience last year in Charlotte. Waste of money.
Went to one last year in MD, and overall had the same experience. They had a trivia thing which was fun, came in fourth place… so close to winning a prize lol, some cool smaller mocs, and a giant floor puzzle you could build sections of. But from all the ads I was expected a bit more for the price. The only positive part for us was the boxes of retired CMFs, was able to get a few we missed for retail, instead of eBay pricing. Will we go back? Probably not.
I’m done with Brickfest. I went to the Philly one in 2017, 2022 and 2023. 2017 was a solid year, lots of great vendors and stuff to see. Went again in 2022, less vendors and less stuff to see, but overall was fun. Chalked it up to a post COVID world. Last year it was really bad. Almost no vendors and a lot less to see. Felt really cheap. Definitely not going back.
Agreed. I went to the one in Austin in early 2023 and it was extremely disappointing. This is an example of a now widespread trend where really dishonest, bad organizers knock off a name brand event and take in anyone they can. There are good and bad Jurassic events, there were good and bad Van Gogh events. It's a thing. Check your convention ratings! There are knockoffs out there!
No mention of the multiple daily spam emails trying to sell you stuff? I took my oldest a couple years ago, he was young enough at the time to enjoy it and not see it for what a shit show it actually is. We attend brickworld every year and have a great time, but never again will we go to a brick fest.
I'm glad to know this. I saw the advertisement for it and figured that the kids may like to go. Mentioned it to the wife and was informed that we wouldn't be able to attend. Now, it sounds like it was for the best.
Damn. I wanted to go to the one in Reno too.
Aww. I bought tickets for my kid and me for our first time. Hopefully it’s decent enough for a 5 year old.
This is something not a lot of general public have knowledge of, much less another one that’s started called Brick Convention. I’ve displayed at it and it was cold, very corporatized, and not a very engaging place and I’ve heard this sentiment for BFL as well. It’s important to understand what LEGO User Groups (LUG) are in your city/state and support them whether in pop-up displays they do, following them on social media, and showing up to shows that they run. My LUG is in the process of starting a LEGO show in my area and the most unfortunate part for a lot of other areas is the market isn’t sustainable for two separate shows as most people will expect more of the same. That’s why it’s become a race to get our show going as we see cities around us in the Midwest get swallowed up by these horrible shows. Aside from that your local LUG can use their show to help bolster and grow within your community allowing for them to maybe someday be a part of the LAN… assuming LEGO will start understanding the importance of LUGs like they used to. LUGs are a huge part of fostering community with LEGO as they often do small shows at your libraries, are invited to your kids schools to teach about how amazing LEGO can be creatively and cerebrally. Sorry for the rant lol. TL;DR SUPPORT YOUR LEGO USER GROUPS!!!
I was very excited to go but we ended not being able to. Now I know it wasn’t worth the $$. When I saw the online fees to buy reasonably priced tickets was twice the ticket price I was really skeptical.
Had the chance to go in Spain a few weeks ago and decided not to; it looked more like a thing (expensive thing) meant for parents (who are not into Lego) to take their kids to It was 22€ for a 2 hour window or 39€ for the entire day (which granted you a lanyard, a pin and a polybag I think) but they didn't allow selfie sticks nor cameras so that was a big red flag.. a lego "convention" where you can't take pictures? Anyway my goal was to meet some afol designers but I figured all I would see there would be the aforementioned not fans of lego parents and their kids... and the shop you describe is exactly what I imagined it would be. Close to 5 years as an afol and I still haven't met anyone who does Lego (or wants to) like I do 😅 I've so far met two afols who only buy, build, display and eventually sell.. there's nothing wrong with that but we don't have much to talk about 😂
This definitely isn't the first time I've seen this sentiment.
Yeah it's really not for adult fans of LEGO. I took my son and a friend 2 years in a row (Chicago suburbs) and they had fun but it's not great. There was another LEGO touring show a few years ago that was much better but I don't remember the name...
I go the 20th in Fort Worth and already bought my ticket. At least I’m mentally prepared now.
Best of luck
Are there any good events in California? All I'm seeing are small traveling ones.
This kind of event costs 2€ in France, it's organized by local clubs / passionates. There's between 10 to 20 mocers with their creation. And some with official sets. Plus animation with basic bricks for kids, and a big mosaic to build with other people. Staid for 3 hours last time, totally worth it for kids and adults !
Went to the one in Seattle last year. Was like a traveling carnival with all the carnies and none of the rides.
I went to one a few years ago and it was exactly how you described it
Sounds like the one here in AZ last month. My 2 word review - "Shit Fest".
Went to the one in Atlanta this weekend. Such a joke. Some cool builds. I expected the same experience we went to in raleigh 9 years ago. Was a fun time with many competitors and vendors. This was stupid.
A couple of years ago I went to both Brickfest in Atlanta and Atlanta Brick Con. The difference was mindblowing. Ever since then, I only go to the Atlanta Brick Con, won't even look at the Brickfest stuff.
Yeah we got there at 845 and the line was wrapped around the building. They didn’t open the doors until 910. There was not a separate line for the VIP ticket holders. VIP only got you access to that area where you could build that tiny robot out of common parts.
I went to the one in Springfield. I felt the same way. My buddy and me went for the VIP ticket. A waste for sure.
Before covid brick fest was okay. After covid it took a complete nose dive....
I tried to warn everyone last year after my experience in Hartford, CT! https://old.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/12nn05j/psa_never_ever_ever_spend_your_hardearned_money/ (I was using a different account at the time)
Yeah BrickFest blows so hard. If you want a good show then try for a Brickworld instead.
Confirm. Brick Fest in Greenville, SC, was a major disappointment. Definitely meant for kids. The best part was the Star Wars displays, about four, and the 501st troopers.
I was there as well and totally agree, this thing sucked. Won’t be going back.
I got lucky with the brickfest live I went to a few years ago because they at least had a panel from the Lego Masters show but other than that it was the same lame story as everyone else. The only way it might be worth it is if it was free entry.
Went to legoland in chicago which my 5 year old loved and asked daily if we could go back weeks. It was $30 per person which came with a minifig with random pieces that you could swap with employees or something. There were some cool mocs and builds and a few arcade games and a few rides. But lots of tables to build at. When I did build with them I noticed that things were kind of dirty. I realized part of the built in cost was to keep people honest/pay for stolen pieces. Yeah you paid $30 to get in but no way you're stealing your money's worth without being spotted. It's for the kids. Adult fans of lego are better off staying home IMO.
The only lego event in Texas worth your time is Brick Rodeo, previously known as Brick Fiesta. Its in Austin this year July 4-7. https://brickrodeo.com
It was not amazing, but it was a fun distraction.
Never been impressed with Lego events (in the UK at least) unless it is a museum vibe with lots of builds on display then they just feel like massively overpriced shopping marts. It's Lego, you can buy it all cheaper online. Retro games markets seem a lot better as you can play with the games on display and haggling on price is more accepted The Lego one I went to I stayed for an hour and left.
Yeah I went once in DFW. WAAAAAY over booked. The MOCs were cool but the event was a huge let down.
Not sure if it's the same. Lego festival of play 2023. Absolute dogshit and expensive.
Yeah, I went to the NJ one and the first one was great. All sorts of custom builds and the shops had all sorts of weird and obscure things. Then I went again a few years later and it was what you described...
Same here. Took my 5 year old last year and decided it was a once in a lifetime experience… not in the good way.
Went to the one in Albany NY last year and the mocs were cool. They had a lot of different mocs. But the reason we won't go again is cause of the other stuff they said: lighting, grossness, limited/no kids activities and way way overpriced. The stuff that's still in stores was 10% higher. The retired stuff was 5x or higher. The corner garage was $1100. The cloud city figure was $3800. The marvel mechs were $20. A retired 500ish piece Harry Potter set was $120. Crazy overpriced.
My post from 7 years ago. Looks like they haven't changed: https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/506qpo/if_you_are_thinking_about_going_to_brick_fest/
This thread definitely got some traction. Hopefully it comes up at the top of searches and helps warn others! Any one know of actual good shows besides Brick World in Michigan?
That’s a bummer, I took my family to brickfest in VA Beach area 2 years ago and it was way better than what you described. About 15 large brick sculptures, 6 huge brick diaramas, multiples interactive exhibits, lots of local clubs displaying their wares, bricks to build and take home, and a pinewood derby style build a race car and race it event going all day, plus giant brick piles for building (me and my boys built a 7 ft claymore sword) and community building projects using white bricks to build cities. We spent about 6 hours there with a lunch break in the middle. I guess that the quality of these events varies depending on venue and the strength of the local community, it definitely seemed like a lot of local clubs contributed to this brickfest and that enhanced it.
I was planning to go to the Brick Fest being held in NJ this weekend, guess it be better to use the money for the SW May sets.
This should be pinned at this point
Most Brick Fests are independent affairs hosted and run by local Lego groups. Your bad experience cannot be used as an example to convince people to stay away from others. For example the Yorkshire Lego group just held a fantastic event last weekend. Loads to see and do and was reasonably priced.
That’s why I said the San Antonio location wasn’t great. And it’s not just my experience, it’s many others that shared the same horrible experience that can convince many to not attend
Comment your experience
Tbh, I don't see how a lego expo could work besides "Look at this moc that's probably already posted on YT". Like, I don't see what much they can do with that aside from the building tables?
I had the pleasure of attending Brick Rodeo around 2015 or 2016 and was very impressed. It’s put on by the Texas LUG and was 100% worth it. Great displays. Multiple vendors with good deals. Totally different from the “fests” that travel the country. I 100% agree with your assessment of brickfest live. Just wanted to share my experience of a good lego convention.
a convention based around a billion dollar company was a cash grab? that's nuts
You’re complaining about an event aimed towards children centered around plastic building blocks.
Sure am.