Brickworld Returns to Schaumburg

Last year, while looking for interesting events to cover in the Chicago area, I found Brickworld, a convention for LEGO enthusiasts. This sounded like a fun convention.

While I grew up on LEGO bricks, as a single man with no children, I thought it would be better for a person with children to cover Brickworld. I happened to have the perfect person on staff in Jason Fleigel, who has two toddlers.

Founded in 2007, Brickworld started in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, where adult fans of LEGOs (AFOLs) could meet and interact in a single ballroom of the Renaissance Convention Center. A five-day event, Brickworld takes up almost the entirety of the Renaissance Center.

Here is part of Jason's recap.

The sight of over 100,000 square feet of castles, baseball stadiums, trains, spaceships and entire cities built using nothing but LEGOs is just awe-inspiring. My children (6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son) were instantly mesmerized by everything they could see, and being enthralled by every new display helped them get over any trepidation they (and I) had about their first convention experience. They delighted in the minute details such as horse stables in the Revolutionary-era village and gleefully pointed out Easter eggs such as Spider-Man swinging from tower to tower at Harry Potter’s school of Hogwarts. They marveled at how someone could take a photo of a rock star and turn it into a mosaic out of LEGO Dots. They wondered loudly how practical effects seen in a Hollywood film, such as smoke out of a chimney stack, could be seamlessly added to a display. It proved difficult to get my son to move on from the enormous train yards, but thankfully he realized there was more to see.

And while you could literally spend all day admiring the display exhibits, Brickworld is not just about looking at LEGOs. A large section of the main hall is dedicated to the fun of building, as easily more than 100,000 red bricks are made available for kids to let loose with their ideas to rival those displayed elsewhere in the convention. My daughter had a blast putting together various structures, including a breathtaking heart, while I had the chance to take a seat on a nearby chair and rest my weary feet. There were also various competitions such as LEGO robot sumo matches and speed builds to enhance the entertainment value even further.

And, of course, what convention would be complete without dealers selling their wares? Numerous booths were filled with LEGO sets old and new, ready to go home with a lucky kid and parent. My son zeroed in on the first fire truck he saw, while his sister was more meticulous and wanted to see what each dealer had to offer before making a decision. It would be easy to say the dealer booths were simply a bastion of commerce, but they also added a level of activity you normally do not see at similar conventions. Many tables had “build a figure” sections, with parts for heads, bodies, legs, and more, neatly organized for visitors to go through and create their own designs. With other attendees hovering, my daughter showed amazing patience as she looked for just the right parts to make the figures that would come home with her. She lasted a lot longer than most other folks, including her daddy, who tapped out early.

As we walked out of the show late Sunday, my daughter gleefully told us what we needed to see and do at next year’s Brickworld. Father’s Day next year is going to be awesome!

Almost a year has passed since the Fleigel family attended Brickworld. Running June 12-16, Brickworld 2024 is almost here!

Brickworld Chicago begins on Wednesday the week of the event. Wednesday through Friday are devoted to badged attendees with Friday featuring more activities for younger attendees. Held at All the Brickworld fun takes place in the spacious and beautiful Renaissance Convention Center in Schaumburg.

I lived the Brickworld experience vicariously through the Fleigel family. It sounded like so much fun, I decided to see it for myself this year. I also encourage all to attend Brickworld. As Jason proved, it's great for kids, but also for adults.

The Fleigel younguns had a year to plan what they wanted to see and do this year. In a few short weeks, they will be back ensconced in LEGO fun.

Brickworld Chicago is one of six planned Brickworld events. Also scheduled are Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Fort Wayne and a special holiday return to Schaumburg.