Sandwiched in the calendar between the behemoth convention Brickworld Chicago and the Texas tradition Brick Rodeo is the little con that could—Bricks by the Bay, in Santa Clara, California. Every year, it seems like obstacles try to prevent the con from taking place—and every year the volunteer organizers snatch the con from killjoy's jaws and succeed in creating a simply wonderful experience.

This year, COVID was in the air again when planning for the convention would have been in full force, and the last-minute decision to go forward with an in-person event led to a scaled-back agenda. Instead of breakout rooms full of competing workshops, talks and games, this year there was one primary stream of activities. Quite honestly, this left more (read: adequate) time for socializing and for admiring the amazing MOCs people brought—and the MOCs on display were as superb as ever. The collaborative builds were exponentially grander than pre-pandemic ones. The GBC collab delighted, as always. The trophies were in turn clever and exquisite.

Several workshops helped to enrich the AFOLs’ building repertoire (AFOL stands for Adult Fans of LEGO). And the games were everything an AFOL has come to expect from a convention. (My favorite part of a con is losing games… but this time my team won one. Crazy!)

KFOLs & TFOLs

Rather than run down the full schedule of events you can typically expect from a con, however, in this article, I will focus on what makes Bricks by the Bay unique: its support of the KFOL/ TFOL community (that’s Kid and Teen Fans of LEGO). AFOLs love our adult time (especially after two years without any—thanks, pandemic!) but while I get excited for Bricks by the Bay, my son is even more excited to hear when registration is open.

Bricks by the Bay (BbtB) allows children to register for the convention (with an adult). They have their own area of the hall, show their own MOCs, and have their own dedicated activities—for example, a mech building workshop specifically for youth. As a parent, it’s heartwarming to watch kids navigate friendships, and it’s lovely to watch AFOLs give them a safe, encouraging space to express themselves and the incentive/inspiration to become better builders.

This lack of gatekeeping between the seemingly opposed viewpoints about the hobby that it should be“adults only” vs. “LEGO is a toy for kids” fostered at Bricks by the Bay builds a stronger AFOL community and should be celebrated.

I spoke with a group of young AFOLs who would typically be in prime “dark ages” territory, but they had been visiting the convention since its early days. They shared with me how their friendship had grown through the con. The adults of BbtB (who are still familiar faces) welcomed them as TFOLs, and those teens grew into delightful, talented AFOLs who continue to volunteer to keep the con alive. (If I were older, I would have pinched their cheeks and given them lollipops.)

The Cool Kids Table

How good are the MOCs in the junior section? Here are my kid’s MOCs. Talking about minors can be a delicate subject, so I will limit my images and commentary to my own minor, #WildOrson.

These MOCs didn’t win a thing. I’m proud of my son's work— and he is proud of his friends who did win. (In fact, he has resolved to build better next year.) I share these photos to set the baseline tone that KFOLs build good stuff.

I’ve asked #WildOrson to step in as a guest contributor to share his KFOL perspective on the convention experience of Bricks by the Bay:

Hi! My name is Orson. I'm 12 years old and have been going to Bricks By The Bay since I was 7. BBTB has always been a thing I am really exited for and I always give it my all. BBTB is very inclusive with letting the kids do stuff. For example, if a kid wants to join a competition or a game with adults then they can join, even if they weren't signed up, as long as there's space. Also, it's nice to know your gonna see and make some new friends.

My favorite part of BBTB is preparing by building a MOC, but I also like the surprises there. This year, there was a Wacky Racer contest where we could roll a LEGO car down a ramp the longest. I didn't have a car, but I got a few dollars and bought parts from the vendors to build one there.

I like how the adults are nice and show us kids good examples with their MOCs and friendships. Overall, BBTB is really fun and at the end of the event, you can get trophies. Even if you don't get one, you still had a nice time.

So the next time you see a group of KFOLs or TFOLs at a convention, go check out what they are up to. You may witness the next great generation of LEGO builders.

What was your experience like at Bricks by the Bay 2022? Let us know in the comments below!

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