BrickFair

BrickFair is a LEGO fan convention and exhibition in the Eastern United States. It was first held in 2008 at Tysons Corner, Virginia by Todd Webb, and in subsequent years, the Virginia convention has been held in Chantilly, typically during the first weekend of August. The convention displays LEGO models, displays and trains, most often covering more than 100,000 square feet of convention space. BrickFair conventions are also held in New England and the Southeastern United States, with the advent of BrickFair Alabama in 2012 and BrickFair New Hampshire in 2013. 2014 was the first year a BrickFair event was ever held in New Jersey. BrickFair currently operates in every season and in four East Coast states.
Along with Brickworld (Chicago), BrickFair Virginia is one of two LEGO conventions in the United States to regularly include ~1000 AFOL exhibitors, making them the largest LEGO conventions in the United States and among the largest in the world. BrickFair Virginia usually has ~20,000 public attendees fill the Dulles Expo Center throughout its public hours.
== Event History ==
=== 2008 ===
BrickFair 2008 was hosted at the Sheraton at Tysons Corner in Mclean, Virginia. This was the first BrickFair event, started in response to the lack of a BrickFest event in 2007.
=== 2009 ===
BrickFair 2009 was hosted at the Sheraton at Tysons Corner in Mclean, Virginia. The LEGO company was represented by community team representative Steve Witt.
This was one of the first events to not include on-site Pick-A-Brick, which was later pulled from LEGO conventions entirely due to the difficulty with distributing it fairly.
=== 2010 ===
In 2010, BrickFair was relocated to the main hall of the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. This was the only year BrickFair was in this location, which is now a 24-hour Wal-Mart. This was also the beginning of the BrickFair "Yard Sale", a private Flea Market held in the expo center's food court.
10214 Tower Bridge was unveiled and used for a team speed build activity at this event. The LEGO company was represented by community team representative Steve Witt and set designer Jamie Berard.
=== 2011 ===
BrickFair moved to the North Hall of the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia to allow for more MOC display space, although this soon became a necessity because the original hall was purchased by Wal-Mart.
10222 Winter Village Post Office was unveiled at this event. The LEGO company was represented by community team representative Steve Witt and a speaker from the Marketing team responsible for the Collectible Minifigures line.
=== 2012 ===
==== Alabama ====
The inaugural "small" event for BrickFair, held in the Birmingham Convention Center in Birmingham, AL.
==== Virginia ====
This event was hosted in the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
10229 Winter Village Cottage was unveiled at this event.
=== 2013 ===
==== Alabama ====
==== New England ====
==== Virginia ====
This event was hosted in the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
LEGO was represented by Kevin Hinkle at this event.
=== 2014 ===
==== Alabama ====
BrickFair Alabama 2014 was held in the Birmingham Convention Center (East Hall) in Birmingham, AL.
This event marked the debut of the BrickFair-branded Moon Bounce and the official, exact map version of Mini Con (a miniland-scale model of the event).
LEGO scaled back their convention support in 2014, and BrickFair Alabama was the first event in some time (when?) to not include any official representative from the company.
==== New England ====
This event marked the debut of "Go Fish", a carnival-style game where attendees and public can win small amounts of LEGO by landing a ball into one of many cups in a grid.
LEGO was represented by Jamie Berard and Raquel Gregorio, who discussed the LEGO set design process on the Creator and 4 Juniors lines, respectively.
==== Virginia ====
BrickFair Virginia 2014 was held at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA from July 30 - August 3, 2014.
LEGO was represented by Peter Espersen from LEGO Ideas.
==== New Jersey ====
BrickFair New Jersey 2014 was held in Somerset, NJ from October 30 to November 2, 2014.
=== 2015 ===
=== 2016 ===
==== New Jersey ====
BrickFair New Jersey will be held in Somerset, NJ from October 29 to October 30, 2016.
=== 2017 ===
==== Alabama ====
BrickFair Alabama 2017 will be held in Birmingham, AL from January 14 to January 15, 2017.
==== Massachusetts ====
BrickFair Massachusetts 2017 will be held in Marlborough, MA from May 6 to May 7, 2017.
==== Virginia ====
BrickFair Virgina 2017 will be held at from August 5 to August 6, 2017.
== External links ==
* Official website
Category:Events