Lego fans of all ages, interests and backgrounds will gather at Osceola Heritage Park this weekend to celebrate brick pieces, minifigures and imaginative artistry.
The Orlando Brick Convention returns to Central Florida for its third year on March 29th-30th, bringing together thousands of LEGO enthusiasts to see works created by professional builders, buy rare sets, and meet your favourite artists.
“What’s really cool about LEGO now is because of all ages. 30% of the audience is adults. The company manufactures products, kits and books for adults,” says Grayson Riley, founder of the Brick Convention, which produces nearly 20 events in U.S. cities throughout the calendar year. “There are so many fandoms in Lego Fandom. This event shows all of that. It’s Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, architecture, or art. It’s LEGO.”
This show has four main components: A creative display where you can see, meet and greet content creators and professional artists, building zones and retail areas.
“The artist takes a pile of bricks and creates his own masterpiece. I’m going to see a Star Wars scene built with Lego,” Riley said. “You’ll see incredible things made from skyscrapers, cities, castles, spacecraft and Lego.”
Special guests on the show include Orlando-based YouTuber Ryan McCullough, including LEGO content creators, product designers and artists.
For stubborn LEGO fans, one of the show’s biggest appeals lies in the retail section.
“A lot of people come to buy. There’s a big collector’s market in LEGO. You can only go to the store and buy what’s currently being produced,” Riley said. “On the show, there are hundreds, if not thousands, if not thousands, sets on the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s.”
Young visitors enjoy taking Lego and diving into the giant brick pits where they can create their own pieces.
“They’re inspired by all the work they saw on the show. They can talk to the artists and build them straight away on site,” Riley said. “It’s really fun to see what the public attendees can build with the thousands of bricks we have.”
In addition to the LEGO fans gathering, the event will partner with Vet Tix to provide event tickets to active military members and veterans, and donate a portion of the proceeds to creations for charity. Over the past three years, the convention has raised $30,000 for the nonprofit.
“This is an entire volunteer organization that offers Lego sets to children who are underprivileged hospitalized during the holiday season. It’s not only in the US, but also around the world,” Riley said.
Visitors are advised to purchase discount tickets online in advance as some sessions are known to be sold out. For past attendees, this year’s show has a fresh and unique lineup and content.
“This year is a whole new show,” Riley said. “It’s twice as many LEGO pieces as last year, and it’s completely new.”
Find @pconnpie on Instagram or send an email at pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.
If you’re going
The Orlando Brick Convention will take place from March 29th to 30th at Osceola Heritage Park, Silver Spar Lane, Kissimmee in 1875. Session 1 is from 10am to 1pm, and Session 2 is from 2pm to 5pm on both days. Tickets are $15 online or $18 doors. Children under 2 years old can enter for free. Parking fees on site are $10. More information: BrickConvention.com
