AFOL: A Blocumentary Is Required Viewing For Lego Fans3/18/10 12:20pm I've seen some of the brick masterpieces produced by the AFOL (Adult Fans of Lego) community, but never knew the people behind them were so flat-out charming until I watched this documentary. Also: tons of bricky goodness. Head's up: it's a half hour long. But these guys are so consistently fun and fascinating, it's worth the time. So settle in and get to know the AFOLs of the Pacific Northwest—or just skip through to see all the amazing Lego engineering. [The Stretta Procedure via Make]There’s a rumor that Everything Is Awesome when you’re playing with LEGO, and Portland kids couldn’t agree more. If the sight of those colorful bricks has your little architects scrambling to build another masterpiece, we’ve got the perfect list for you. Check out these six great spots where your LEGO fans can go to get building. Photo by woodleywonderworks via Flickr This spot for LEGO lovers on NE Sandy Blvd has all of your needs covered.
Kids can buy new sets, sell used sets or make their own mix of bulk pieces from the massive bins of spare parts. If you’re searching for the perfect minifig, head to the minifig table where you can mix and match your own! (3 minifigs for $10). You’ll definitely be inspired by the incredible LEGO creations lining the shelves and countertops. The store has a few cozy armchairs for relaxing and two bathrooms complete with a changing table, so parents can rest easy while kids happily satisfy their LEGO cravings all afternoon. Additional locations can be found in Beaverton and Canby. For the Ultimate LEGO Fan, book one of the Bricks and Minifigs birthday party packages and make it a celebration they’ll never forget. 3040 NE Sandy Blvd. Mon. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sun., noon- 5 p.m. Photo by Alessandro Valli via Flickr If your little builder can’t wait to get their hands on the latest Minecraft, Ninjago or LEGO Elves set, head to The Lego Store, where brick fans can find all of the latest and greatest sets.
Just need a few individual pieces to complete your creation at home? Buy a bag of LEGO bricks from the bulk bins for happy building. Join the store’s LEGO VIP program to earn points towards purchases and invitations to members-only LEGO events. Don’t forget to follow the store’s monthly calendar for the inside scoop on in-store LEGO building events and special sales. 9410 SW Washington Sq Rd. # K11 Mon. – Sat., 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sun., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Can anything beat a night of LEGO building? Only if that night of LEGO building also includes LEGO Wii, motorized creations, snacks, drinks and new friends. At Bricks 4 Kidz’s Friday night “Kidz Night Out” events, LEGO enthusiasts ages 4-10 get a night of their own to celebrate the beloved bricks with an evening of fun. Cost is $20 per child, and pre-registration is required. Bricks 4 Kidz also hosts a variety of camps, classes and after-school events. Check their website for new offerings in LEGO adventures!
21135 NW West Union Rd. Photo by Anna Doogan LEGO at the Library It’s LEGO Club at the library! Show off your building skills at these drop-in groups happening at Multnomah County Libraries. All LEGO bricks are provided. Donations of new bricks are always welcome, so go ahead and bring in that bucket of extra pieces! After each session, creations are set up on display. LEGO Club is always free, but is first come first served, so arrive about 30 minutes early to reserve a spot. Afterwards, browse the shelves so that your LEGO lover can snag a copy of The LEGO Idea Book or The LEGO Movie on DVD before heading home. May 20 at Kenton Library 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. May 23 at Sellwood-Moreland Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Jun. 3 at Kenton Library 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Jun. 6 at Midland Library 4:15 p.m. – 5 p.m. Jun. 6 at Hollywood Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Jun. 8 at Northwest Library 3 p.m.- 4 p.m. Jun. 15 at Woodstock Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Jun. 17 at Kenton Library 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Jun. 22 at Northwest Library 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Jun. 27 at Sellwood-Moreland Library 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 8226 N. Denver Ave. 7860 SE 13th Ave. 805 SE 122nd Ave. 4040 NE Tillamook St. 2300 NW Thurman St. 6009 SE 49th Ave. OMSI is combining two things that kids love—summer break and LEGO— for days of summer fun that young LEGO fans won’t be able to stop talking about. Kids entering 4th or 5th grade can design simple or more complicated contraptions in LEGO Machines camp, or build and command robots in LEGO Robotics. To make it easier on Moms and Dads, OMSI offers before-care starting at 7:30 a.m., and after care until 6 p.m. Parents can go about their day knowing that the kids are hard at play making LEGO masterpieces. Camps fill quickly, so register early to guarantee a spot. Camp prices range from $230-$290/week for OMSI members and $287.50-$362.50/week for non-members. Lego Machines: Jun. 20-24, 2016 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Lego Robotics: Jun. 20-24, Jul. 5-8, Jul. 25-29, 2016 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 1945 SE Water Ave. From preschoolers to teens and every age in-between, there’s a class or workshop at Little Engineers. Using STEM curriculum combined with LEGO education kits, kids have fun while learning technical skills and problem solving. Little Engineers offers various camps and classes throughout the year, as well as after school programs and birthday parties. Check out the Saturday Drop and Shop LEGO/Minecraft Camp. It allows parents to dash out for a few hours of shopping or errands while little brick lovers make new friends and build to their hearts’ content. Little Engineers is moving locations to Washington Square Mall in early June, so keep an eye on their website for the latest information and schedules. 10110 SW Nimbus Ave., Ste. B7 & B8 What’s your favorite LEGO spot in the Portland area? Let us know in the comments below!What's not to love?Those little colorful plastic interlocking bricks represent hours of fun and creativity.
And if you love building with Legos there is an area event that lets you play with other enthusiasts. Brick Fest Live runs Saturday and Sunday at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Montgomery County.The event runs in tandem with a convention for Fans of Lego (FOL). That event, today through Sunday, April 23-26, consists of games, seminars, building activities, giveaways and more. Participants will display their creations. At Brick Fest Live you can see the creations and participate in activities such as collaborative Lego displays, Lego car racing down a 35-foot long track at the Brick Fest Derby and trivia contests.Brick Fest will fill the 90,000 square feet of the Expo Center with huge displays, including two layouts with working trains and lighted buildings.Representatives from 30 groups, including Lego vendors and clubs, will offer materials and information on the latest Lego toys.Chad Collins, founder and owner of Learn With Bricks, which organized the event, created the festival out of a love for Legos.
He says it all started when his 7-year-old daughter Jordyn wanted to create a Lego YouTube channel after watching other videos. In 2011, father and daughter began posting videos, news, reviews and information for other enthusiasts. Now, they have a couple million viewers on Your Creative Friends, their YouTube channel, and created an independent production company and Lego fan base not affiliated with The Lego Group. Ultimately, Collins says, they connected with The Lego Group, which became a sponsor. Their first event was a year ago at the Philadelphia Expo Center, and now they have put on a dozen shows, from Massachusetts and New Jersey to California and Wisconsin."This is our flagship event, the biggest one we do all year. We got our start in Philadelphia. This is our own back yard," says Collins, a native of Warwick, Bucks County.The focus, he says, is on family-oriented fun and entertainment."We attract ages 6 to 12. But we also attract the young and the young at heart, such as someone my age [30s] who is now creating with their children."
The Lego Group made its first simple interlocking toy bricks in 1949 in Billund, Denmark. Its motto, "det bedste er ikke for godt," translates roughly as "only the best is the best" or "the best is never too good."Since then, Lego has expanded into movies, games, competitions, and six themed amusement parks built around a simple plastic toys."Lego is the No. 1 toy company in the world," says Collins. "It's why events like ours are so popular. Our attendance was over 20,000 for that April show. We expect similar numbers this year."Through his company Collins offers something called Brick Swag — a monthly box of assorted Lego stuff — and through his Brick Builders Club he offers magazines, T-shirts and trading cards.At Brick Fest there will be an arena to play your favorite Lego video game and even a mini golf area called the Brick-Links. You can build a masterpiece in mosaic using a variety of colored 1-by-1 inch Lego bricks. The 501 Legion of Star Wars costume role players will be there as well, along with celebrities from the popular YouTube show "The Brick Show," a Lego fan program that Collins says has some 300,000 viewers.
There will also be dozens of vendor tables with lots of Lego merchandise to purchase, including buckets of Lego bricks, custom mini-figures, mini-figure accessories and Lego jewelry. Shop for new, vintage, rare and custom Lego sets and merchandise from vendors.You may even find Collins' favorite Lego toy, a Giant Pirate Ship. "It's one of the new ones," he says, "but I really like it because it reminds me of one I had as a kid."Tim Higgins is a freelance writer.•What: Festival for Lego lovers to build, interact, shop.•When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3-7 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday•Where: Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., OaksIn 1958, the modern Lego brick was designed and patented. Five years later the right material was created for the bricks, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) polymer.In 1978, Lego produced the first minifigures, which have since become a staple in most sets.In May 2011, Space Shuttle Endeavour brought 13 Lego kits to the International Space Station, where astronauts built models to see how they would react in microgravity, part of the Lego Bricks in Space program.