Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone! This article isn’t about the day of green beer and pots of gold… but we wanted to wish you a delightful day anyway by opening this article with Boone Langston’s awesome LEGO rainbow and pot of gold which was displayed at Bricks Cascade 2022 last weekend… and it just so happens that the con is the subject of our article below. Enjoy!

Coming to the Cascades

Welcome to the first part of our look at Bricks Cascade 2022! Last weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to Portland, Oregon for the tenth anniversary of Bricks Cascade. The second part tomorrow will get really nerdy analyzing a survey of AFOLs who went to the fan convention, but today we’re going to reflect on the event overall. How did it stack up after a two-year hiatus (and after an outdoor picnic last year)?

The happy AFOL masses! What a showing of builders! Photo courtesy of Will Nickelson of the Bricks Cascade Staff!

First and most impressive is that the AFOL community was clearly bubbling with excitement: the con boasted record numbers of both attendees (over 500) and MOCs (over 1300, I believe I heard), better than any of all the nine past iterations. Yes, this was the con’s 10th outing! I personally felt the con had as much energy and positivity as ever—people were psyched to be there and the folks running Bricks Cascade put on a great show as always. There were builders from all over, including some international visitors—a good sign that life is getting back to normal a little.

We, attendees, enjoyed all the typical con events: parts drafts, games, the dim light display, brick printing, vendors, awards, and much, much more. (Granted one item missing from the agenda which I only realized after the fact was the lack of a keynote speaker.) The hall was the same massive size as usual, and despite the many builders, the space was still comfortable. I haven’t learned if the public attendance was high or low, but with all the space available, the hall never felt crowded as usual. I guess that public attendance numbers were a little less than their peak in 2019 just based on the space available to walk around the show.

I would say that with the high MOC count, the tables were literally bursting in some themes—which is always wonderful to see for a good show for the public… even if the MOC Tetris got a bit tough at times. A huge positive as always are the great prizes at Bricks Cascade (bulk parts or a set, your choice) and there was enough to go around for all the builders which was a pleasant surprise knowing how lean the last few years have been for cons. Talking about positives… I was very glad to see Beyond the Brick (and BrickNerd Patrons!) in full force getting so much great content/footage of the fantastic builds!

John and Joshua interviewing Pam and Austin about their amazing build!

Mastering the Con

COVID-19 precautions were maintained for all builder events though the public was not required to be vaccinated or wear masks Saturday/Sunday per Oregon State and the convention center rules which were changed as of Saturday morning.

One of the more interesting observations I heard mentioned and also noted for myself was that it felt like the other builders were more active than ever in handing out their own trinkets, bricks, and little prizes to MOCs that they felt were special which is a great way to spread the love across so many more MOCs than the typical awards can get to. This was definitely exhibited well by the LEGO Masters in attendance. … And, uh, did I also mention there was a bevy of LEGO Masters contestants in the hall!? Always awesome to see our famed siblings with the hobby! They bring amazing energy every time.

Masters on the stairs. Image via Michael Kanemoto aka Moto.

I also got a chance to see Wayne Tyler’s most up-to-date version of his stunning National Mall MOC which we covered on BrickNerd a few times. The display has grown so large, I bet he only ever gets to see it at conventions like this one—made even better by the “dim light display” where the lights go out and all his lights from Brickstuff (another BrickNerd Patron) really shine.

Here’s a picture of Wayne with his build… but the real beauty was seeing this lit up at night!

Planning for the Unknown

I asked James Ritzman, the Master of Ceremonies for Bricks Cascade, what he thought of the show this year.

“Leading into our first major event in two years, it seemed every day brought a new curveball of some type that tested our patience and resolve. We had initially gone into the event with a plan for COVID protocols, but as the state moved ahead with lifting the statewide mask mandate in an accelerated timeframe, we realized those protocol changes would change mid-way through the event. There was the challenge then of how to keep our commitment to safety, respecting a broad array of needs and viewpoints, and accommodating everyone as best as possible who had registered under the pretense that things could change in that respect.

Would the AFOLs show up? Would the public show up? Would we be able to cover the costs of the event? Unlike in previous years where we had some ideas based on engagement and feedback, or maybe even a current season of a certain LEGO Masters show that we knew would bring people out, we had almost no indicators, no magic ball, to tell us how it would turn out. It was a great relief and vindication to see so much enthusiasm from our builder community and from the public—as well as lots of new faces! In that respect, I can say it was a success, and hopefully a good sign that we can put these past two tragic years in the rearview mirror.”

As you can see, overall it was a great year for Bricks Cascade through and through!

Miles of MOCs

Tomorrow we’ll dive deep into some AFOL perspectives on Bricks Cascade and LEGO cons in general, but for now, let’s take a relaxing walk through a bunch of MOCs that I happened to capture and can share with you here.

Finally, I’ll leave you with the gentle waves of Grant Davis’ mesmerizing MOC which was a big hit at the show, showing gentle waves crashing on the beach. All LEGO wizardry aside, watching this just makes me feel calm and serene.

Bricks Cascade 2022 was certainly a success and a return to celebrating the LEGO community in full. While online conventions have been better than nothing, in-person interactions and the people at the convention make being back after a long break all the more meaningful. I look forward to going back next year!

Tune in tomorrow for the results of our con attendee survey. I promise you there will be lots of stats and charts and a little humor as well. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone!

Did you go to Bricks Cascade this year? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

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