Brickworld Chicago this weekend
Posted by MeganL,
One of the largest U.S. conventions, Brickworld Chicago, is back this weekend at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center. The convention for attendees starts Wednesday night with a mixer, with an opening ceremony Thursday night. There are many other sessions offered Thursday through Saturday.
Like previous years, U.S. LEGO Masters contestants will be in attendance from all seasons, and will be in panel talks and displaying their own MOCs. The convention will be open to the public on Saturday from 10-4 and Sunday from 10-3.
I'll also be there for most of the weekend. On Friday I'm leading the Women's Brick Initiative (WBI) workshop, where we will be creating a collaborative build purely from parts from 41748 Heartlake City Community Centre, as well as more quilt squares for the WBI quilt. There will be a WBI social immediately after the workshop.
Over the weekend you'll be able to find me at the WBI table, which will feature our collaborative builds, including the WBI quilt. Please stop by and say hi - I will have a limited number of 1x8 Brickset bricks to give away.
I hope to see you there!
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22 comments on this article
Incroyable
Went last year. While the builds were pretty cool, the staff let too many people in at one time. You’re packed in there, fighting everyone else for a view of a build or fighting to get close enough to see if a vendor has the one clone trooper you need to complete your army.
If you can get early access and see everything prior to it opening to the public, go. If not, it might be better to watch Beyond the Brick or some other YouTuber do a complete walk through.
I'd love to go sometime, given that I live in Ohio and Brickworld Chicago and Brickfair Virginia are the two closest LEGO conventions to me.
But not this year. I'm barely an adult already, for crying out loud.
I will get there one year!
I went last year, but I was with my friend and his four year old, so I didn't get to savor things like I might have wanted. Great event, though, even if pretty far outside Chicago proper.
I’ll be there!
@Talint said:
"Went last year. While the builds were pretty cool, the staff let too many people in at one time. You’re packed in there, fighting everyone else for a view of a build or fighting to get close enough to see if a vendor has the one clone trooper you need to complete your army.
If you can get early access and see everything prior to it opening to the public, go. If not, it might be better to watch Beyond the Brick or some other YouTuber do a complete walk through."
I'm going again this year, after skipping it last year. The crowds are the sole reason I don't go every year. I live only 20 minutes away from the convention center, but those crowds really suck a lot of the fun out of it for me. And you can forget shopping at the vendors! It's hard enough to just walk around and look at the exhibits, but browsing / shopping is just impossible.
Maybe next year I'll finally get my sh-t together and sign up as an exhibitor, and show off some stuff.
I’ll be there with a Ucs destiny’s bounty!
Hope to see you there on Saturday, Huw! Save a Brickset brick for me ;)
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"I'd love to go sometime, given that I live in Ohio and Brickworld Chicago and Brickfair Virginia are the two closest LEGO conventions to me.
But not this year. I'm barely an adult already, for crying out loud."
Thanks for saying this. I was considering going to Brick Fest near me in Ohio, but it looks like it's not a very good, if at all really a, convention.
I will be there, my first ever Lego event!
@AverageChimaEnjoyer
@ledmouse
Check out the Brick Erie Convention at the Erie, PA Comic Con. 2024 will be only their second year but it seems like they're pretty committed to providing a true AFOL convention experience. I've signed up to exhibit with them this year and it seems like they've got good people running things.
https://eriepromotions.com/brick-erie-2/
@benbuildslego said:
"Hope to see you there on Saturday, Huw! Save a Brickset brick for me ;) "
Unfortunately you won't see me, but look out for @MeganL (who wrote the article :-) )
@Talint:
Oh, at 100,000 square feet, it’s difficult to see everything during public hours on Saturday (and Sunday is usually shorter by one hour). When I go, I prefer to drive out there Wednesday morning and drive back Monday. Besides wanting to display, that gives me two days to just wander the hall as much as I want, before the public arrives, plus Saturday night they do World of Lights after the public is gone. But the reason for the public hours is to help offset the massive cost of running an event that size. They still have to charge an attendance fee to AFOLs, but it would be several times higher if they weren’t doing public hours.
@JDawg5:
The thing that’s kept me from going the past few years is budget. Between travel, hotel, and food for a six-day trip, it gets expensive. If I lived close enough to drive, I don’t think I’d have missed a single year.
@ledmouse:
Brick Fest Live? It’s not a convention. It’s mostly just a bunch of models that the organizer bought from other people, including a former LCP from the UK, with very little involvement from outside AFOLs. Tickets have an entry and exit time. While you aren’t required to leave at the exit time, you’re definitely encouraged to (and adults may find they don’t even want to stick around that long).
@Huw said:
" @benbuildslego said:
"Hope to see you there on Saturday, Huw! Save a Brickset brick for me ;) "
Unfortunately you won't see me, but look out for @MeganL (who wrote the article :-) )"
I gotta work on my reading comprehension skills. :P Hope to see you, Megan!
@Huw said:
"I will get there one year!"
I was considering it but far to many YouTube influencers..
@Huw said:
"I will get there one year!"
Those Illinois cruises are quite rare. :o)
@yellowcastle said:
" @Huw said:
"I will get there one year!"
Those Illinois cruises are quite rare. :o)"
Floating down the green river.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @yellowcastle said:
" @Huw said:
"I will get there one year!"
Those Illinois cruises are quite rare. :o)"
Floating down the green river."
Too hot to be in Chicago in the summer.
Too cold to be in Chicago in the winter.
To wit.
@JDawg5 said:
" @Talint said:
"Went last year. While the builds were pretty cool, the staff let too many people in at one time. You’re packed in there, fighting everyone else for a view of a build or fighting to get close enough to see if a vendor has the one clone trooper you need to complete your army.
If you can get early access and see everything prior to it opening to the public, go. If not, it might be better to watch Beyond the Brick or some other YouTuber do a complete walk through."
I'm going again this year, after skipping it last year. The crowds are the sole reason I don't go every year. I live only 20 minutes away from the convention center, but those crowds really suck a lot of the fun out of it for me. And you can forget shopping at the vendors! It's hard enough to just walk around and look at the exhibits, but browsing / shopping is just impossible.
Maybe next year I'll finally get my sh-t together and sign up as an exhibitor, and show off some stuff. "
I went for several years during the public times. I now get a convention pass for all days. I go on Thursday night and all day Friday. For Saturday. I go after the public time and stay till midnight thru the World of Lights display that happens at 10pm Saturday. So much better.
This is like the second year in a row they held this Father's Day weekend, isn't it? I work Saturdays and spend the holiday with my dad so never can go.
@yellowcastle said:
" @Huw said:
"I will get there one year!"
Those Illinois cruises are quite rare. :o)"
There are several cruise lines, both local and worldwide, that operate cruises on the Great Lakes. They're just that big.