LEGO®-related shows are booming in Canada this year. I’ve been keeping track of them all on the True North Bricks Canadian LEGO® events page. However, every now and then a big show rolls north of the border. In this case, Brick Fest Live 2024 announced seven Canadian stops. For those not familiar with the traveling show, Brick Fest began as a brick convention in Philadelphia in 2014. Since then the event has been touring the United States. They have no actual affiliation with the LEGO® Group. Their list of 2024 dates currently includes:

• Calgary, Alberta: June 22-23 @ BMO Centre
• Edmonton, Alberta: June 29 – 30 @ Edmonton Expo Centre
• Abbotsford, British Columbia: July 6 – 7 @ TradeX
• London, Ontario: November 23 – 24 @ Western Fair District
• Ottawa, Ontario: November 30 – December 1 @ EY Centre
• Mississauga, Ontario: December 7 – 8 @ International Centre
• Quebec City, Quebec: December 14 – 15 @ QC Convention Centre
• Click here to visit the Brick Fest Live website.

The website is a little vague on what to expect at the shows. Generally, they advertise each show features large LEGO® sculptures, a massive brick pit, hands-on activities for kids, derby races, a “glow zone” (building with bricks that glow under black light), a graffiti wall, and the chance to join in building a huge mural. They are clear that events vary from city to city, but can include vendors, local MOCs, and guest appearances (like former LEGO® Masters contestants).

A word of caution concerning Brick Fest Live 2024

Initially, I was pretty excited that Brick Fest Live 2024 was coming to Canada. However, when I began researching the origins of the show for this article, I came across some troubling online discussions. As far as LEGO® related conventions and shows go, Brick Fest Live has a bit of a bad rap. There is a lot of chatter online about fans being underwhelmed with the experience and feeling they paid too much. Some people even go so far as to say Brick Fest Live damages the reputation of the LEGO® community and better events by routinely disappointing attendees.

I have never attended Brick Fest Live before, so I have no personal experience with the matter. However, I felt I could not simply promote the shows without a word of caution. You can Google them and read the forums for yourself to make up your own mind. But there are a lot of people out there who were not happy with their Brick Fest experiences. To give you an idea, the Amazon review page for the event rates Brick Fest Live at 1.2 out of 5 (out of 104 ratings, 86% gave it one star). It has 1.2/5 over at the Better Business Bureau. With that said, 56% of people gave it five stars on Trustpilot.

Will you venture to one of the Brick Fest Live 2024 stops?

It seems to me that Brick Fest Live is heavily dependent on local AFOLs to make the show. What they bring to town is not enough to appease fans for the ticket prices. Again, I have never been. But that is my impression from reading the forums. If the local AFOL community does not come out in force to support the show with local displays and vendors, there won’t be much to see. Have you been to Brick Fest Live in the past? What were your experiences? Be sure to let me know in the comments or on social media, that way all AFOLs can make an informed decision on whether or not to attend.

Until next time,

-Tom

Want to support True North Bricks?

If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or TikTok for regular content. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the margin to your right. As an affiliate of those retailers, we earn from qualifying purchases. These earnings come at no extra cost to you but help to keep the content at True North Bricks free.