Lego convention coming to Brentwood this fall

Lego enthusiasts, rejoice: The Brick Convention is coming this fall.

Scheduled for Oct. 19 and 20 at the Suffolk Credit Union Arena in Brentwood, the event isn’t just another brick in the wall: It’s billing itself as a two-day  Lego fan convention.

The program will include just about anything that is Lego-related: merchants, elaborate displays, life-size figures, appearances from creators (including past contestants from the Fox TV show “LEGO Masters”) and even train sets, according to the convention’s website. There will also be hard-to-find kits, “Star Wars”-themed creations and -- who knew? – Lego botanical arrangements. Local bricklayers of all ages are welcome.

The Brick Convention, which is scheduled to make stops in cities across the country, suggests that even in this virtual age, physical toys like Lego haven’t vanished. Founded in the 1930s by a Danish carpenter, the Lego company (now called Lego Group) initially produced wooden toys, then plastic ones; its now-famous bricks appeared in the late 1940s. Those snap-together pieces have proven both popular and enduring: Lego saw robust sales during the pandemic and reported approximately $4 billion in revenue last year.

The Brick Convention was founded by Greyson Riley, a life-long Lego fan. A portion of the Brick Convention's proceeds will go to Creations for Charity, which donates Lego sets to children around the world.

Last year, the convention raised about $6,000 for Creations for Charity, according to the group’s president and co-founder, Nannan Zhang. Launched in 2009, the group also raises money by selling custom-built Lego creations donated by artists.

“It’s a very fun and creative medium,” Zhang says of Lego. “Basically, it’s like solving a puzzle and creating art at the same time. And you get to do both.”

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com@raferguzman