Hundreds gather in Wilmington for first-ever Brick Convention

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Lego bricks filled the Wilmington Convention Center over the weekend as hundreds of children and families gathered for the city’s first-ever Brick Convention.

The Lego fan convention featured elaborate creations ranging from World War II scenes and portraits to fully built cities and other large-scale displays.

For many attendees, building with Lego is more than a hobby.

“It’s like doing art, but like sculpting without getting messy. It’s fun,” one attendee said.

Visitors had the chance to build their own creations, participate in Lego classes, shop for sets, and display their personal collections.

Some builders traveled from outside the area to share their creations with other Lego fans.

Frankie Mendez came from South Carolina and said collecting and building with Lego is an activity for people of all ages.

Mendez said the creativity he sees in children’s Lego creations reminds him of his own childhood and the lasting impact building can have.

“It feels like a kid in my early days,” Mendez said. “Every time I see a kid who sees my Legos, it reminds me of myself.”

Mendez displayed several of his favorite sets, including the Titanic, Avengers Tower, and several sports cars.

Nearby, Sienna, Demi, Robert and Wayne were displaying their own Lego creations for the first time.

“We all built different kinds of Legos and put them on the show. We let the kids see them,” they said.

The young builders brought several large and intricate creations, including one featuring a spinning Earth model.

Organizers said a portion of the convention’s proceeds will benefit the Build Smiles Foundation, which supports Brazilian orphans and provides new Lego sets to underprivileged children around the world.