Brickworld Indy 2012

It seems a hobby becomes a full-on obsession when you start to attend conventions based on your interest. My fascination with all things Lego crossed this threshold over the weekend when I attended the annual Brickworld convention in Indianapolis. The two-day event featured a showcase of Lego creations and activities for all ages.

The crown jewel of the exhibits was the replica of Lucas Oil Stadium built for Super Bowl XLVI last month. It was difficult to get an up-close of the intensely detailed model with all the people clamoring for a glimpse. The jumbo display featured motorized roof panels, lights, and a working video screen. The top had since been autographed by various NFL players.

More details and a big photo gallery after the jump.

In addition to this spectacular replica, there were a wide array of other attractions: fully-realized city scenes, castles, Star Wars dioramas, collages. Some of the Lego Mindstorms-powered creations like working ATM and slot machine were exciting to see.

My family of four (plus one young friend) spent about four hours there on Saturday afternoon. The kids really enjoyed participating in the collage-building activities. They were responsible for one portion of a Lego collage that assembled to make a picture of Spongebob, Snoopy, Tigger or other character. My wife was even enthralled by all the cool sights.

Of course, vendors dotted the far reaches of the large convention room. Each sold mostly over-priced minifigs and discontinued Lego sets. We did pick up a few of the assemble-your-own minifigs for $5 each. It’s a sales gimmick common in official Lego retail stores but this particular vendor had a wide variety of components to choose from.

Brickworld Indy certainly was a success and I think this will be just the first of many Lego-related events for me.