Warlands Expand LEGO Convention to 18 Cities After Twin Cities Success

The Warland family has expanded their Brick Cities LEGO convention from a single regional event to a national series spanning 18 cities. The growth follows the second annual edition of the Twin Cities show, which concluded this past Halloween weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The event transformed the North End Event Center into a venue for community gathering and custom display.

Rob and Mindy Warland of Roseville founded the convention after establishing two Bricks & Minifigs stores in Minnesota. They previously led a nonprofit that used LEGO education products in urban schools to engage students who struggled with learning. The Warlands aimed to create a space that highlighted local creators and vendors alongside the sale of new, used, and rare LEGO products.

Rob Warland stated that the attendee base reflects the medium's ability to engage different age groups. “We are all creative people. I think that we’re all created to be creators, and LEGO provides that opportunity,” he said. He added that the platform allows individuals to express joy regardless of whether they are seven or 77 years old.

The event floor featured a mix of pop culture references and local Minnesota landmarks. Display tables included intricate Star Wars battle scenes, a Jurassic Park layout, and a large-scale recreation of the Eiffel Tower. Local pride was represented by builds of Target Field and other state-specific structures. Model trains operated on LEGO railroads while families constructed original designs and tested them on derby tracks.

Jodi Johnson, who represents the Bricks and Mini Figs locations in Champlin and Blaine, exhibited a replica of the Rebel Loon. The model adapts the Minnesota state bird to resemble the Star Wars Rebel Alliance emblem. Johnson, a workweek teacher, displayed the piece alongside a LEGO tribute to Minnesota that included references to “duck, duck, gray duck,” “pop,” and “uff da.” She also presented a multi-paneled mosaic featuring Spider-Man characters from the animated film Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.

Johnson described LEGO as a tool for developmental growth and personal well-being. “This is my creative outlet, my mental health outlet. I find ways to bring LEGO into my classroom because of the problem-solving, somewhere we can practice critical thinking,” she said. She integrated the blocks into her teaching to foster critical thinking skills.

Drew Smith, a 1994 University of Minnesota statistics graduate from Stillwater, showcased a scaled replica of the historic Stillwater Lift Bridge. He expanded the original build to include Lowell Park, local trolleys, a miniature gondola, and the Andiamo showboat. Smith also presented a custom layout centered on a large-scale Millennium Falcon model. He spent five months over a long summer building the Docking Bay 94 set from the original Star Wars film.

Smith modified the tan structural bay walls to include custom details and hidden easter eggs for attendees to discover. He noted that the project required a specific type of engineering mindset. “You got to really have an engineering mind to come up with a creative build, either from scratch where you don’t have any design, like the docking bay,” Smith said. He described the process of building from a pile of LEGOs as fun and therapeutic.

Rob Warland viewed the convention as a mechanism for community cohesion. “In our society, there’s a lot that divides. LEGO is not one of those things,” he said. He expressed satisfaction with the role of organizing an event that unites people through shared creative expression.