Ever wonder how Mount Rushmore would look if made entirely of LEGO bricks? There will soon be an opportunity to find out.
For the first time, a LEGO-themed convention will be held in Rochester.
BrickUniverse, a traveling LEGO fan convention started in 2015, will make its first appearance in Rochester April 23-24. The convention will take place at the Main Street Armory.
The event, organized by fans, will feature professional LEGO artists and showcase small and large creations with tens of thousands of LEGO bricks.
Brick Universe also includes vendors who sell an array of LEGO-related items including new, old and custom sets. The event is known to draw several thousands of attendees.
The LEGO Group, a Danish company founded in a carpenter’s workshop during the Great Depression, ranks as one of the world’s largest toy makers. It began manufacturing the plastic bricks after World War II. In 1998, the LEGO block was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame housed at the Strong Museum of Play, and one of New York’s 11 LEGO stores has been at the Eastview Mall since 2012.
RocLUG, Rochester’s LEGO User Group, will be volunteering at the event and will bring more than 40 tables of LEGO builds by community members.
“I think that having Brick Universe here in Rochester is a great thing,” says Chad Roscoe, president of RocLUG. “Bringing (together) people from all walks of life to building something that’s out of this world. Anyone can build anything and that’s what our club is all about.”
Other planned attractions at the convention include a scale model of the Manhattan Bridge, an operating model of NASA Kennedy Space Complex, and a model of Grand Central Terminal.
Tickets are available for $14.99 through pre-purchase here or $18 at the door in limited quantities.
Mackenzie Kenyon is a Rochester Beacon intern. He is a senior at St. John Fisher College. The Beacon welcomes comments from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name.