Brickslopes Is a Paradise for Utah Lego Fans

My addiction to Lego has never been a secret. Around the time I was "supposed to" grow out of it (more on that ridiculous idea in another post), Lego changed for me from a plaything to an art form, so I never lost my obsession. I've been judged at times by people who didn't understand, but thankfully I've seen much less of that the past few years as adult Lego fandom has gone more mainstream (thank you very much, The Lego Movie). While there has always been a vibrant online Lego fan community, it has really boomed recently, and that's a good thing.

The local Lego fan community has grown a lot, too. Back in 2007, I was so excited to discover the Utah Lego Users Group (ULUG). There weren't a lot of members then, but I appreciated getting to spend time with people who shared my passion; for once in my life, I didn't feel isolated in my hobby. Now our group membership has grown into triple digits. An official Lego store opened in the Salt Lake City area a few years ago. And . . . we have our very own fan convention.

This was my first time attending Brickslopes, and it did not disappoint. I pretty much geeked out the entire time. There were so many inspiring models; ever since then, I've been itching to pull out my own bricks and build something. Here are some of my favorite displays from the event:

I've always wanted to build a gigantic Lego castle. Seeing this one made my heart so happy!

Way cool dragon mosaic.

This display by KeithLUG took nineteen people six months to build. Keith Goldman--the Keith of KeithLUG--has always been one of my favorite builders. I couldn't believe I finally got to see his and his LUG's work in person!

The Trade Federation occupation of Theed, built by ULUG member and personal friend, Brian Pilati.

Yoshi!

It wouldn't be a Utah fan convention without an LDS temple.

The few pictures here hardly do the event any justice, but you can see more in my Flickr album. Attending Brickslopes with fellow Lego fans did for me as a builder what my writing groups do for me as a writer: it got me excited to pull out my pieces and build. Maybe next year I'll have something of my own to display, but one thing's for sure: I can't wait to go to Brickslopes again!