BrickFair LEGO Convention, August 3

Where do I buy tickets?

No tickets. Just pay at the door.

What does registering get you that is not included in general admission?

	Public	Exhibitor
Fee	$	$$$
Hours	11:00am - 4:00pm 1 day	10:00am - 9:00pm (or more) 4 days
Attraction	Visiting, viewing Not touching!	Exhibiting, showing off, interacting
Games	1 or 2	More games
Seminars	No	Yes
Door Prizes	No	Yes
Brick Badge	No	Yes
Goodie Bag	No	Yes
Volunteer Shirt	No	Available (to volunteers)
Organizer Dinner	No	Available (to some volunteers)
Hotel	Local suggestions	Discount room (availability may be limited)

Public pages are in color. Exhibitor pages on this website are black/white; you are welcome to browse.

Is there an age limit?

Public visitors of all ages are welcome.

Can I bring something I built?

Public visitors should not bring LEGO. The expo is primarily a viewing, not participating, event.

What's an "AFOL?"

Pronounced "ay-fole," AFOL is an Adult Fan Of LEGO. BrickFair is run by AFOLs, for AFOLs.

What's a "MOC?"

Pronounced "mock," a MOC is My Own Creation. Anything we build which isn't an official LEGO company design, regardless of size or success, is a MOC. The key BrickFair feature is enjoying each others' MOCs.

Can I buy LEGO there?

Absolutely! Vendors will be there selling all sorts of LEGO stuff.

Does BrickFair travel to other cities?

BrickFair comes but thrice per year: Alabama in January, New Hampshire in May, and Virginia in August.

These other reputable events are similar, but they are unique organizations run by different AFOLs. We cannot answer questions about them. We are proud of BrickFair, but if money or time is an issue, we recommend visiting the event closest to you.

Strollers.

Strollers are not permitted in the expo.

Yes cameras.

Photography is encouraged! Take pictures of anything and everything!

How long is the show?

The expo is a free-roaming event. Enjoy the show at your own pace. We suggest allowing 90 minutes to see everything. Doors close at 4:00pm. The expo is vacated at 4:30pm.

How long is the line?

The line grows long but moves fast. Maximum wait is approximately 25 minutes.

We do not recommend lining up early; this does not seem to save any time.

Are credit cards accepted?

BrickFair accepts cash, checks and credit cards. Some vendors (not all) accept credit cards.

An ATM machine is on-site. We cannot guarantee it is working or loaded.

What else is for sale at BrickFair?

You'll need the $12 entrance fee, and money for LEGO vendors and food.

Wear comfortable shoes.

BrickFair VA 2013 is hosted at the Dulles Expo Center with all concrete floors.

Is food nearby?

The DEC has an on-site cafeteria. And every fast food joint imaginable lies within 500 yards of the building.

Can I bring food?

Sorry, food may not be brought into BrickFair.

Is BrickFair wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all 100,000 square feet of BrickFair VA 2013 is on one floor, and our aisles are easily navigable.

What hotel?

See our exhibitors' travel page.

Can BrickFair come to our little event?

Short answer: BrickFair does not participate in events other than our annual festivals.

Read the long answer:

Local organizations, comprised of AFOLs, might be worth contacting. Google for "" or "".

Train clubs are your best bet, but tend to be busy with recurring annual shows. So it may be difficult to get your event added to their schedule. LUGs don't "display" as often and are generally more social-focused; but they're worth a try.

If you submit a request to any of these groups, give as much advance notice as possible. Club members commit to requests based on their availability. Ample planning time helps. Be sure to include dates and specific times, location, expected number of attendees, and as many details as possible about logistics and space available for displaying. Ease of set-up is an important factor (2nd-floor events are more difficult). Also, members prefer wide latitude to the types of creations they may display. Requests for specific themed shows can be difficult to fulfill.

Typical shows use 30" deep tables. Members sit behind the display tables while observers pass in front. This allows constant oversight of the LEGO creations and gives displayers the chance to chat with passers-by.

AFOLs will be interested in security of their creations. No one wants to return the next day to find their carefully crafted (and often expensive) models damaged or missing.

The duration of your event and expected number of attendees may influence responses to your request. Set-ups and tear-downs are time consuming. AFOLs do not want to spend hours loading their cars for an event lasting only two hours. It is a very nice touch to offer an honorarium, lunch and/or snacks to the exhibitors.

These clubs generally prefer to join large-area festivals where their works may be viewed by many fans. How-to workshops benefiting a few dozen are not preferred. But it never hurts to ask if one or two individual members might be interested in coming to chat with your small group. There are other organizations in the area that conduct LEGO parties, for a fee. Google for "."

If you think your event fits the above criteria, we encourage you to contact these clubs directly.

I hope this helps to guide you,
Todd

PS: You also may try contacting First LEGO League and US First to see if they offer youth programs appropriate for your group.

Can I donate LEGO to you?

We gladly accept genuine LEGO brand parts. Donated LEGO pieces will be cleaned and sorted by volunteers, then sold at BrickFair VA to raise money for our children's charity. Please contact us to donate, and thank you.

Do you have hi-res photos?

Here's some of our favorite hi-res photos we've collected. You are welcome to use them.

FAQs for Public Visitors

Money Matters

About the Kiddies

Noobs and Newbies

Terminology

And The Rest...