We have attended for many years and recently created our own displays and joined in the fun at builder events. The convention is four days with the last two open to the public to see the MOCs (My Own Creation)s the builders have designed. This convention is run entirely by volunteers who love LEGO and understand how important creativity is to a happy life. Most families get to know LEGO by building sets or creating from a container of bricks. That is the beauty of an open ended toy. It can be anything! And that's why this event is so special. One reviewer said some of the MOCs were not that great but each one is a unique product of a creative mind that appeals to someone. I marvel at how these folks think up, design and execute even the smallest display. It costs money to rent the hall, pay for security, etc. The price reflects this and the booths selling LEGO and compatible products help defray that cost and bring unique items together for everyone to buy. Prices are competitive with both online and retail stores but here you will find things like LEGO jewelry, decals for your mini figs and apparel. If you are looking for a family friendly outing that inspires your kids to build something that's NOT onscreen, then this is for you. read more

Bricks By The Bay - Art Galleries Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Impressive stuff over these guys are creative brainy geniuses everywhere you look was phenomenal buildings planes towers anything you can think of super creative I tell they put a lot of time and money and energy I'm glad o went to go to see this read more

Bricks By The Bay - Art Galleries Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Overpriced, but mostly cool not-Lego-sponsored Lego show in a hotel conference room. This event company recruited a bunch of amazing local builders who made some really cool creations including: - a Millenium Falcon movie-accurate and not from a kit - an entire superhero town - a 7-foot tall Multnomah Falls outside Portland - an aircraft carrier - a ton of bionicle creations, cool geometric forms, pop culture references, etc. There was also a ton of random junk on tables, but most was really cool. The event company, on the other hand, was not cool. They charge $17/person to enter (even little kids), accept CASH ONLY (tax avoidance??) and are super rude (with an extra dose of rude). In the 2 hours we were there, I was yelled at ("STAMPS!!!"), pushed out of the way so a guy could move a stanchion about 2 inches and aggressively told we couldn't exit the door we came in (so we would be forced to walk through the "vendor area" where they sell overpriced Lego products). When added to a budget busting $17/head, this place left a really bad taste in my mouth. In spite of some really cool builders, probably wouldn't do this again. read more

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We had a great time at our first Bricks by the Bay experience. Got in on the Groupon, which was a great deal. Really loved the creativity of the ideas and exhibition. Everyone was nice and all the attendees were polite and enthusiastic. Vendor room was good as well, lots of rare sets and cool specialty pieces. I would have liked for them to have some more kids activities going at all times, but for a few hours on a Sunday, I couldn't have asked for more. read more

They're open today. ;) Where else in the Bay Area can you see fellow Bay Area LEGO aficionados (as well as others from out of state) display their builds? Builders of the displays range from really young to really old, in other words a normal LEGO kit's age range. Many create new ones for the yearly exposition, especially around the expo's theme. But some still bring their beloved past builds. Enjoy and be inspired! read more

This convention is really a ton of fun. Great for kids and adults alike. Plent for both to do. I attended my first year on a public day, meaning I only got to walk through, look at people's Lego models, and buy from the vendors hall. After that first little taste I became intrigued and attended the full convention the following year. As a full attendee I had access to games, doorprizes, workshops, talks, and the ability to display my own Lego creations and have them eligible to win trophies. There's so much to do as a full attendee, and so much to learn from all the other creatives who attend. Bricks by the bay was my intro to Lego conventions, and I think it's one of the best. read more

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I got two adult advanced tickets for the lego by the bay exhibit in the great mall. When we arrived we were refunded our money and told we could not enter because we did not have any children with us. They said there was a concern for the safety of children roaming around the exhibit and a fear of child abduction. I was shocked. I was there to see the mini city landscapes advertised in the newspaper. I had college aged kids of my own, and I am a middle aged women. I came from work and dressed business casual. They allowed myself and my companion in to see the mini city scapes but were told to strictly stay in that area and then leave. The lego rep was nice enough but the policy made us feel unwelcome. read more

Because you, dear reader, are one of my favorite people, I'll tell you this-- FOR THE LOVE OF BRICKSBURG, BUY THE VIP TICKETS FOR THE SUNDAY EXPO. You will not spend as long here as you think you will--- so have a plan of attack for the vendor hall. Buy your T-shirts and pins ASAP as they seem to sell out of certain sizes/styles rather fast. Bring cash for those purchases, and for the vendor hall as well as quite a few of those folks do not take plastic. Just relax and move with the crowds, not against them. Have fun!!!!! read more

Very, very fun. Incredible LEGO builds, with astounding detail. Very open to participation from young kids, teens, and adults. If you're an AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego) you should definitely come check this out. If you have children that like LEGO, you should at least bring them on Sunday (very cheap admission, but bigger crowds). If they're really into LEGO, register for the full conference and bring them on Saturday (and even Friday!). They'll walk away with an incredible array of new ideas, and you'll probably be inspired to join them in some LEGO building. read more

This is a great Bay Area Convention, that had it's beginnings as at tiny event in Fremont four years ago. My son is a LEGO addict, has been since age 5 and when we heard of a local LEGO focused event, we went!! If you want to be inspired as to what can be built with LEGOs, this is the place to go! Outstanding projects made of simple bricks ranging from tiny vehicles to a nine foot tall diorama of a scene from "Lord of the Rings". It can get really crowded on the Public Viewing day, so I recommend joining the convention where you have three days to see everything at a much more leisurely pace, with plenty of room to spare. I've been to dozens of different conventions over the last 35 years and this one is a great, family friendly and oriented event that is on the upward cycle of growing each year and I can tell the staff is doing everything they can to make sure everyone has a great time. Comparisons to LEGOland are just not relevant. I've been, took my LEGO obsessed son, and he was greatly underwhelmed. But that is another review. read more

Really fun for the family but won't be going this year because the price has been raised to $75 early bird price and $85 regular price. What a disappointment. I wrote my concern and the response was lacking any validation for the increase. Save your money and go buy your kids a new Lego set! read more

Great event. Loved looking at all of the original designs created by Lego fans. This is a fun sized convention so don't compare it to LegoLand which is an entire amusement park. This is hosted by Bay area Lego model makers. I purchase tickets for all of my students in my Lego classes and they had a blast looking at the models on public day and visiting the vendor booths. A couple of my students came during the convention and they really liked it because it was calm and there were lots of creative activities for them to do when they weren't looking at the models. Highly recommend it and at $8.00 you can't beat the price! Good value. read more

I thought the Lego sculptures were fabulous! Our family really enjoyed it. It was really crowded though. I think they should cap it off at a certain number of people, or they should make two sessions, morning/afternoon. By the time noon came around, there want any room to walk anywhere. We wanted to buy some Lego people, but we couldn't because the crowds were too much. Also, prices for Legos weren't any cheaper than at the store or on amazon. I think a lot of it was used Legos as well. 8 bux for tickets, children 2 and under free. read more

Just went to the website to purchase tickets for this year. The prices have sky-rocketed! For Sunday, the VIP ticket last year was $21.95 and this year it is $30! An increase of $8 per ticket! Wow! Why such a huge increase? This is a great event but for $60 for the two of us, I think we might skip it this year and do something else! This is a great event, but for that kind of money, I don't think so! read more

Went to this on Sunday, March 18. Yes, it was really crowded and we had to wait in line for 20 minutes to purchase the $8 tickets. I recommend buying online, which was available up until the day before the event. There was no line to wait to get in if tickets were purchased online. Basically, if you have been to Legoland, you can skip this event. Legoland is much more amazing. read more

I would give this event 10 stars simply for the customer service. I had a donation voucher for four tickets. In order to redeem the tickets, it said to contact Bill Ward, the President of Bricks by the Bay. I forgot to contact Bill in advance. Frantically, the morning of the event, I sent an email to Bricks by the Bay left a message on Bill's general phone contact that was listed on the website. I was hoping to redeem my tickets. Within an hour of sending my email, Bill Ward sent me a text message. I was surprised that I even received a response because it was so last minute and I know that being the President of the company, he had to be busy. After exchanging a few text messages, he contacted the event staff and told them to expect me and he also gave me the name of another staff person in case I had any issues. Bill Ward is a superstar and the rest of his staff must be like him because Bricks by the Way was a fantastic and fun event. read more