Brickworld Chicago 2026
Tentative Schedule

(Schedule subject to change)

View Last Year's Schedule

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

12:00PM – 1:00PM

Registration Opens
Brickworld

Registration Desk

Registration desk opens for convention attendees to pick-up their badges.

12:00PM – 12:00AM

Display Setup
Brickworld

Event Hall

Set up displays in the event hall

12:00PM – 12:00PM

Display Setup
Brickworld

Schaumburg East

Set up displays in the event hall

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Volunteer Orientation
Brickworld

Utopia C

Presentation

Are you volunteering this year? Whether you are a veteran or a first-time attendee, this orientation is or you! This is your opportunity to get prepared for your volunteering role. During this session, we'll review the event schedule, expectations, and the specific responsibilities of positions so you know exactly what to expect. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions and connect with fellow volunteers.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

New Attendee Orientation
Philip Straatsma

Utopia C

Presentation

Is this your first time at Brickworld? Come join us as we go over all aspects of the event to help you make the most of your experience here. Learn about set drafts, after hours activities, voting for awards, the charity auction and more.

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Ice Breaker Challenge Round 1
Lindsey Silcox
Josh Mintier

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

This is a corn hole style game played on Wednesday and Thursday with a final round immediately following Thursday's game. This is a head to head elimination for a grand winner.

4:00PM – 7:00PM

Food Trucks
Brickworld

Food Trucks

Workshop

5:00PM – 5:50PM

Beer Draft
Daniel Church

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

With AFOLs from around the US and the world, this is a rare opportunity to try some of your fellow AFOLs' favorite beers! Simply bring six of your best local beers* (*matching six pack). Make sure the beer is cold so we can have a toast afterwards. We'll sort out the beers (by type and color), and draft! Must be of legal drinking age. *We reserve the right to remove participants that bring Bud light or Molson Canadian.

5:00PM – 5:50PM

Set #42201 Technic, Deep-Sea Research Submarine
Bill Bartley
Tiffany Reneberg

Serenity

Set Draft

5:00PM – 5:50PM

Knight Kingdom II -Large Figures -PARTS EXCHANGE
Ron Kirk Smith

Epiphany

Set Draft

6:00PM – 6:50PM

Soda Draft
Allissa Anderson
John Teisberg

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

All participants will need to bring six bottles or cans of soda. The idea is to bring local sodas from your community but we understand that is not always possible. There is a novelty soda shop in Schaumburg at the Woodfield Mall that sells lots of unique sodas to choose from. You can bring six of the same soda or six different it's up to you. The soda is sorted by type and numbers are drawn for the order. Each participant chooses one bottle at a time until they are all gone! This is the best way to try some new and interesting sodas. All ages welcome.

7:00PM – 8:00PM

Opening Ceremonies
Mark Larson

Utopia Ballroom

The Opening Ceremonies at Brickworld Chicago provide a helpful overview of event rules and etiquette to ensure a smooth and respectful experience for all participants. It’s also a time for attendees to gather, meet fellow fans, and connect with the community.

9:00PM – 9:50PM

Bowling
Lindsey Supa
Josh Mohawk

Utopia AB

Game/Competition

Spend your evening with friends playing a friend game of bowling. Using PAB cups as pins and the leaf ball to bowl, this classic is perfect for hanging out in the evening.

Thursday, June 18, 2026

8:00AM – 12:00AM

Display Setup
Brickworld

Event Hall

Set up displays in the event hall

8:00AM – 8:00AM

Display Setup
Brickworld

Schaumburg East Ballroom

Set up displays in the event hall

8:00AM

Registration Opens
Brickworld

Registration Desk

Registration desk opens for convention attendees to pick-up their badges.

8:00AM – 8:50AM

Volunteer Orientation
Brickworld

Utopia AB

Presentation

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Design a layout to fit your space with BrickLayouts
Jessica Rupp
Justin Rupp

Euphoria

Presentation

Learn how to design a LEGO® layout that fits your space using BrickLayouts. We walks builders through planning, scaling, and organizing layouts to maximize space, improve flow, and create cohesive displays. This is perfect for shows, home layouts, and collaborative builds.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Advanced Lighting for MOCs
Brian Williams

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

This hands on demonstration of advanced lighting concepts focuses on how to choose lighting types, estimate cost, and design your MOC for running wires and lights. The beginning is suitable for newbies lighting sets for the first time. The latter portion has more advanced concepts for the experienced MOC builder. Case studies of a vehicle and building are included and give the participant hands on experience with major lighting products.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Pad Printing LEGO Minifigs: A Commercial Odyssey
Dayton L (Orbital Minifigs)

Schaumburg C

Presentation

Exploring all aspects of four years of developing and creating Custom Lego Minifigures followed by a Q&A session.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Set #43288 Sally’s Flowerpot
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

9:00AM – 10:50AM

Set #21362 Mineral Collection
Knoxville LUG (Andy Bliss)
Travis Hicks, Mike Burris, Jen Burris

Epiphany

Set Draft

9:00AM – 9:50AM

New Attendee Orientation
Philip Straatsma

Utopia C

Presentation

9:00AM – 9:30AM

Bricks In Bloom - LEGO Plant Make & Take
Red Suit Studs (Tanner Carlson)

Utopia D

Workshop

In this workshop, attendees will learn tips and tricks on how to build custom LEGO botanical creations! This event includes a building portion where attendees will be challenged to think creatively and build a LEGO flower of their own!

9:00AM – 9:50AM

LEVERAGING LEGO LIFTARMS: Making Minifigs Move (Vol. 3)
Bethany Wright
Nathan Wright

Utopia AB

Workshop

Join teacher Bethany Wright for a NEW hands-on workshop using LEGO liftarms to make things lift, slide, and wobble – plus bonus builds to expand movement options! These simple mechanisms are perfect for everyone, no previous experience with gears is necessary. Take-home kit includes printed step-by-step instructions, but bring your own brick separator and 3 minifigs to get the full movement effect. Couldn't buy a kit? You can still attend! To bring your own parts, contact bethany@interactivebricks.com for a parts list. Class afterwards includes Q+A and info on using movement in a show: motor brands, lubrication, batteries vs electrical power, challenges on keeping a build running 8 hours a day, etc.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Military Veteran builders
Brick.dad.builds, (Chris Meeker)

Innovation

Round Table/Panel

Meet, greet, and get acquainted with each other. Share how lego is part of your post service life. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, Coast Guard, reserve and guard included.

10:00AM – 11:50AM

Great Ball Contraption Workshop
Bryan Bonahoom
Steve Hassenplug, Beth Hassenplug, John Brost, Jeremy Moody, Tom Atkinson

Utopia AB

Workshop

Build a GBC module to include in the loop and take home with you. This year's module, Screw It, is a double worm gear lift. Learn about GBC basics. Become part of the largest collaborative effort at the event. Event Module comes with a motor.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Exploring LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
David Snyder
Alicia Bassett

Utopia C

Presentation

Explore LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP), a facilitated method that uses LEGO bricks as a tool for innovative thinking, storytelling, and problem-solving. More than just building, LSP is a structured process that helps individuals and teams explore complex ideas, solve challenges, and gain new perspectives. This presentation traces the origins of LSP, explains the principles that make it effective, and provides a clear, practical overview of how a session runs. Attendees will see a short live micro-demo and gain insights they can apply at meetups or club workshops.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Minifigure Quiz - A LEGO Lore Challenge
Andrew Z. Taylor

Utopia D

Game/Competition

Do you love Minifigs? Do you think you know Lego characters? Then test your knowledge and see if you take the prize for this Lego character trivia quiz! The quiz will operate similar to Jeopardy! with multiple categories for specific lines/themes (Space, Castle, Pirates, etc.), with questions increasing in difficulty All questions will be multiple choice and focused on trivia about Lego characters. Participants will be split into three teams. Each member of the winning team will receive a Minifigures blind box.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Building Understanding - Using LEGO for Science Communication
Tom Harbin - AstroCanuck

Euphoria

Presentation

I have been live streaming Science Communication content on Twitch for nearly six years and building LEGO for five years as of April 21st - it has been a fantastic way to bring people together and have a conversation directly or indirectly about the LEGO set we're building on that particular stream. What I aim to do is talk about Astronomy, Astrophotography and Space Exploration; making it accessible and educational for many levels of understanding. LEGO has helped me illustrate this in so many ways. This presentation explores how hands-on building with LEGO can make complex scientific ideas more accessible and memorable. Using astronomy and space exploration examples, it shows how physical models help audiences grasp scale, structure, and function in ways traditional slides often fall short. By applying core science communication principles—storytelling, accessibility, and visual learning—the talk demonstrates how brick-built models spark curiosity, encourage participation, and turn abstract concepts into tangible experiences. Ultimately, it argues that playful, tactile engagement is a powerful pathway to understanding, helping people feel a personal connection to science and the universe.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Dark Ages - yes, no, or maybe?
Isaiah Durand
Geneva Durand, Josiah Durand, Anna Durand, Sarah Durand, Katie Durand, Faith Durand, Cheryl Durand, Paul Durand, John-Baptiste Navarre Durand

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

What do Dark Ages look like when you're, well, all different ages? How many different experiences can you have in one MOCing family? Find out what starts and keeps each of us building.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Colorblindness in the Lego Community
Tyler Urban

Schaumburg C

Presentation

This presentation looks at the challenges colorblind AFOL's face and highlights strategies and tools for us to use to make building more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Ice Breaker Challenge Round 2
Lindsey Supa
Josh Mohawk

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

Round 2 is another chance for attendees to play a one on one corn hole style match to move on to the final championship round.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Neurodiversity Mosaic - Collaborative Build
Suzanne Eaton

Other

Workshop

10:00AM – 10:50AM

RLUG Ambassador Meeting
Brickworld

Imagination

Round Table/Panel

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Set #40825 Halloween Wreath
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

11:00AM – 11:50AM

LEGO – The Lost Ideas
Daniel Konstanski

Utopia C

Presentation

The LEGO Group develops a lot of ideas that never make it to market. Pieces, sets, and even whole themes that are never seen outside the secretive halls of Billund. However, those ideas sometimes leave a paper trail and every now and then something sneaks out… This presentation pulls back the curtain on over 90 years of concepts, prototypes, themes and ideas that were developed but never got produced. Plates with studs on both sides? Tubes not on top? Never released monorail elements? All these and much more will be revealed. This presentation will feature a host of images from various official LEGO sources spanning the past 80 years. The presenter is Daniel Konstanski the US Editor for Blocks Magazine and author of The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks. Daniel has had the privilege over the past decade of collaborating with the LEGO Group and fans across the globe to unearth a host of stories from within the company. His knowledge spans the LEGO Group’s entire history and he has personally interviewed over 100 employees past and present as well as worked directly with the company’s in-house historians on a variety of projects.

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Z-Blob's Build Challenge
Hannah Ho

Utopia D

Workshop

Join Z- Blob and I as we explore creativity by taking this highly customizable set and making it our own! One set is provided to each person at the beginning. Everyone will then use the pieces of the set to build an original creation without their phones or instructions. We will have a little gallery of our creations, and we will take a picture all together. Everyone is encouraged to keep their set or to give it to someone they care about. We will all say goodbye and explore the rest of Brickworld Chicago changed for the better!

OFFICIAL_Zblob_Brickworld_Chicago_Panel.pdf

11:00AM – 11:50AM

From Idea to Upload: Creating LEGO Content That Connects
Colin Wylie (Wylie Bricks)

Euphoria

Workshop

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Train Round Table
Train Round Table

Innovation

Round Table/Panel

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Building Ourselves - Mental Health Discussion
Anders Wennerberg

Schaumburg C

Presentation

A follow up on last years Building Yourself discussion. Anders gives an update on what he learned from the last year and a time for Brickworld attendees to talk mental health in a safe space with a supportive group.

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Ice Breaker Challenge Finale
Lindsey Supa
Josh Mohawk

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

This is the championship round of this corn hole style game. Players competed in either Round 1 or Round 2 for an entry into this final round. The winner will receive a trophy.

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Set #11508 Daisies
GLENNA CROVER

Serenity

Set Draft

11:00AM – 8:00PM

Food Trucks
Brickworld

Food Trucks

Workshop

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Set #75636 Windmill Village Hut
Josh Lemieux
David Gregory

Epiphany

Set Draft

11:00AM – 12:50PM

LEGO Foosball World Championship 2025
Sean Hummel

Competition Area

Game/Competition

12:00PM – 12:50PM

Brick By Brick: making LEGO sets accessible to blind builders
Matthew Shifrin

Utopia C

Workshop

In this session, you’ll learn how blind people build LEGO sets on their own using text-based instructions. The speaker's nonprofit, Bricks For The Blind, has adapted over 480 sets for blind builders; their instructions have been downloaded over 30,000 times by blind builders who hail from over 120 countries. You’ll learn how these instructions are created, build a set blindfolded, and get to take it home with you. Who can resist free LEGO?

12:00PM – 12:50PM

Minifig Photography for Beginners
Owen Bassett

Utopia D

Workshop

You don't need a fancy camera or studio to take photos of your minifigs in action. Using natural lighting, your phone, minifigs and accessories, you can take photos and give them a life other than sitting on a shelf or on display. Using minifigs and bricks and accessories you already have you can create scenes and take good photos. An adaptor (USB-C to HDMI) and a couple of backgrounds and minifigs to show examples on the big screen will be provided first. Then people can use a phone and "play" with taking photos. Examples will be provided for inspiration.

12:00PM – 12:50PM

Take your display planning digital with BrickLayouts
Jessica Rupp
Justin Rupp

Euphoria

Presentation

Take your layout planning digital with BrickLayouts. This session shows how to transform traditional pencil and graph-paper, build on the floor, or spreadsheet cell manipulation into an EASY online, portable layout plan you can access anywhere. Learn how digitizing your layout with BrickLayouts makes it easier to refine designs, collaborate with others, and bring your vision with you to shows, meetings, and builds.

12:00PM – 12:50PM

Using AI to Design LEGO
Jake Johnson

Utopia AB

Workshop

12:00PM – 7:00PM

Brickfilm Theater
Casey McCoy
Tyler Eyerly

Schaumburg D

Presentation

If you ever need a chance to take a break and relax, we'll be showing films all day from Brickfilmers around the world. Pull up a chair and enjoy!

1:00PM – 1:30PM

Blind Build
Gretchen McNeely

Innovation

Game/Competition

Race your fellow builders to be the first to build a set without looking at the pieces!

1:00PM – 1:50PM

LEGO Mocs as Fan Fiction
Roy T Cook

Utopia C

Presentation

In this presentation we will explore the idea that LEGO MOCs can be fruitfully understood as a kind of fanfiction - that is, the idea we can (and should) understand MOCs as resistant fictions telling stories alternative to those told in official sets.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

LEGO DESiGN Internship | A Designer’s Journey in Denmark
Owen Harry

Euphoria

Presentation

Learn about life in Billund, Denmark (Home of the LEGO Brick) from the perspective of a LEGO Icons design intern! Explore behind the scenes of LEGO product development and learn about the design internship experience! Bring lots of questions!

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Getting Started with LEGO Trains
Zac Rawls

Utopia AB

Presentation

Buying your first LEGO Train to building your own motorized MOC trains - we'll cover the varying ways you can enter into the world of LEGO Trains

1:00PM – 1:30PM

Bricks In Bloom - LEGO Plant Make & Take
Red Suit Studs (Tanner Carlson)

Utopia D

Workshop

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Scavenger Hunt for Teens
Jennifer Hood
Gabriel Hood

Inspiration

Game/Competition

Join other teens (ages 13-17 only) for a race around the convention space to find all the items on your list. Winners get a prize!

1:00PM – 2:50PM

LEGO Stop-Motion Animation 101
Casey McCoy
Tyler Eyerly

Schaumburg C

Workshop

Brickworld Cinema Coordinators Casey and Tyler will give a brief presentation on getting started in LEGO animation and then lead hands-on animation practice for beginners. Bring a smartphone or tablet. Playbrick will be provided for use, but bringing your own minifigures or Bionicle figures is highly encouraged.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Mad Libs
Lindsey Supa
Josh Mohawk

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

This is a MOC building event. Teams of two will draw on adjective card and one noun card to inspire a custom creation. Teams have 50 minutes to build and display their MOCs. At the end, judges will determine a winner. A trophy will be awarded for this event.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Destiny's Bounty Adventures - board game by Asmodee
Glen Kirk

Other

Game/Competition

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Set # 40957 Spring Wreath
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

1:00PM – 2:50PM

Set #10362 French Café
Donna Cartia
Chuck Cartia

Epiphany

Set Draft

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Brickworld Baja workshop
Steve Hassenplug
John Brost

Competition Area

Workshop

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Why Do We Build? - A Brick Artists Journey
Red Suit Studs (Tanner Carlson)

Schaumburg AB

Round Table/Panel

In this round table panel hosted by Red Suit Studs, you'll hear the story of how LEGO came into his life and shaped the passions that make builders like us, who we are. By learning more about the soul that fuels the LEGO community, we will ponder the ultimate question, "Why Do We Build?". Audience members will receive a mystery LEGO goodie bag of which you'll learn it's purpose upon attending. Content Warning: Topics discussed include passing of a family member and it's effects

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in LEGO
Cale Leiphart

Utopia C

Presentation

Do you have a desire to take your LEGO train modeling in a more realistic direction? Do you want to know how to model real trains in better more accurate detail? Do you want to learn how to research the trains you are modeling and better represent the real railroads they ran on? Follow along with prominent train builder Cale Leiphart as he dives into his quest to model the Pennsylvania Railroad in LEGO and create a layout based on a stretch of PRR from his home in York Pennsylvania. Along the way you will learn how he researches his subjects, how he is developing an overall plan for his Pershing Avenue layout based on historical information, and how he plans to tie it all together to present an accurate depiction of the PRR in the 1940's.

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Dirty Brickster - $15.00 Minimum
Gary Haas
Jennifer Lilliebridge

Utopia AB

Game/Competition

"Dirty Brickster" is a themed variation of the "White Elephant" or "Dirty Santa" gift exchange game, specifically used for LEGO gift exchanges. For this session, you need a $15 minimum value gift to participate.

2:00PM – 2:50PM

We Built This City: Planning and Building an Annual Collaborative Lego City
David Warner
Ben Ostermeier

Euphoria

Presentation

Every year members of GtwLUG in St. Louis plan and build a new, large city as part of a month-long display to the public. In this presentation we will walk you through the logistics of planning and coordinating the building of a temporary 180+ sq. ft. Lego city and what we've learned over the past decade of city building.

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Transgender LEGO Fans Meetup
Sarah Genao (just2good)

Innovation

Round Table/Panel

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Set #43272 Heihei
Brian Urban

Serenity

Set Draft

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Brickworld Baja
John Brost
Steve Hassenplug

Competition Area

Game/Competition

See rules

Bring your best remote control off-road LEGO® vehicle to compete in the Brickworld Baja off-road competition.

2:00PM – 3:50PM

Creature Feature: LEGO Monster Mash!
Sam Mascari

Utopia D

Game/Competition

Bracket-style tournament where contestants come to sit down and use bulk Bionicle pieces to construct their best monsters, and pit them against each other- making an argument for how their monster should win! The other contestants decide via voting, and the last monster standing is crowned the winner of the Monster Mash.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

New Attendee Orientation
Philip Straatsma

Utopia C

Presentation

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Pad Printing LEGO Minifigs: A Commercial Odyssey
Dayton L (Orbital Minifigs)

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Exploring all aspects of four years of developing and creating Custom Lego Minifigures followed by a Q&A session.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Collabs: Infrastructure & Planning
Meredith Najewicz
Brian Bell

Euphoria

Workshop

Want to build big with others? Want to have all the bells and whistles for your next collab? We'll be going through some of the learnings, equipment and must-haves for large collabs (both people and build size wise). Topics include planning, lights, power, tables, and other infrastructure.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

How to Be a Better Builder
Casey McCoy

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Presentation

Back by popular demand! For the third year in a row, Brickworld Master Casey McCoy shares his perspective on honing your technical and artistic skills with the LEGO medium by covering mindset, constructive criticism, community, techniques, and more! Updated for 2026. Free LEGO distributed to incentivize audience participation! Join in a dialogue with fellow AFOLs on how to be the best builder possible.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Set # 75687 Elphaba’s Retreat
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

3:00PM – 4:50PM

Set #60469 Central Train Station
Justin Crover
Glenna Crover

Epiphany

Set Draft

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Minifig Photography for Beginners
Owen Bassett

Utopia AB

Workshop

3:00PM – 4:50PM

Beggar's Canyon Podrace
Doug Kinney

Schaumburg East Podrace

Game/Competition

Is your pod the fastest in the galaxy? Do you always win? Come and race your pod against up to 9 others to see who will win the Beggar's Canyon Podrace. Easy rules set, All materials provided.

3:00PM – 3:30PM

LEGO Investing & Reselling for Beginners
Stud Economy

Schaumburg C

Workshop

A grassroots guide to selling and investing in LEGO products on the aftermarket, whether online, in-person, or a combination of the two!

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Custom Lego in the Community
Ethan Lachinski
Zac Madison

Utopia C

Workshop

A sit down conversation for fans of Custom Lego and its place in the Lego community.

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Five Minute Brick Talks
Andrew Beckett

Euphoria

Workshop

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Bricks Against Humanity
David Gregory

Inspiration

Game/Competition

Imagine if Cards Against Humanity had a LEGO expansion pack. That's exactly what Bricks Against Humanity is. If you've never played, it's easy to learn. This activity is limited to those who reserved a spot online.

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Scuds
Vince Milholland (vmacattack)
Sarah Derosett

Schaumburg AB

Game/Competition

See rules

Scuds is a game invented by my late father during the Gulf War. The rules are pretty simple, each player builds a base and you take turns throwing Technic wheels at your opponent's build until the minifigure falls out. You will have 5 minutes before each round to construct your base, with the final round being given 10 minutes. This is a single-elimination bracket of 32, chosen at random. Each player will be given set 11039 Creative Food Friends to build their base out of, which you will take home with you after the competition. The "Scuds" will be provided along with minifigures, but feel free to bring your own SigFig for use in the game.

4:00PM – 5:50PM

Team Trivia
Jeff Muhlecke
AJ Olds, Chris Olds, Isa Muhlecke

Utopia AB

Game/Competition

Teams of 6 or fewer compete in multiple rounds of trivia centered around Lego.

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Dirty Brickster - $50 Minimum
Gary Haas
Jennifer Lilliebridge

Utopia D

Workshop

"Dirty Brickster" is a themed variation of the "White Elephant" or "Dirty Santa" gift exchange game, specifically used for LEGO gift exchanges. For this session, you need a $50 minimum value gift to participate. Complete rules here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J7G7iqVoGbrjZ2JChTd83TMNxbrTre_hGIc6df7xNQ8/edit?usp=sharing

4:00PM – 4:30PM

The 4th Annual Tropical Shirt Thursday
Anders Wennerberg

Staircase

Workshop

Join us in front of the staircase near Registration to take our annual photos and chat! Any Tropical themed shirt or outfit is welcome!

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Bucket Ball Challenge
Lindsey Supa
Josh Mohawk

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

This is a simple game of throwing a lego element ball into a bucket. A race to 3 against a other player to move on. This is a bracket event and a winner will be determined at the end.

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Set #11506 Rocking Plants
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

4:00PM – 5:50PM

Duel of the Plates: A LEGO Star Wars Lightsaber Tournament
Sean Hummel

Competition Area

Workshop

5:00PM – 5:50PM

Set #31385 Sea Animals: Beautiful Dolphins
Donna Cartia
Chuck Cartia

Serenity

Set Draft

5:00PM – 5:50PM

Set #77256 Time Machine from Back to the Future
T.E.

Epiphany

Set Draft

7:00PM – 8:00PM

Keynote
Keynote Speaker

Schaumburg West Ballroom

The Keynote at Brickworld Chicago offers inspiration and insight from a featured speaker who shares their journey, creativity, and passion for the LEGO hobby. It’s a chance to hear unique perspectives, gain new ideas, and celebrate the imagination that brings the community together.

8:00PM – 9:50PM

Pub Trivia
Philip Camis

Utopia C

Workshop

Think you know a little about everything? Join our pub trivia. Up to 15 teams of 4 players answering questions over the course of 5 rounds. Bring a small bag of parts to build some of your answers. The winning team will receive $100 in Lego Gift Cards. All proceeds above will go to the Brickworld charities.

8:00PM – 9:50PM

Set # 11372 Autumn Cottage Garden
Donna Cartia
Chuck Cartia

Serenity

Set Draft

9:00PM – 10:50PM

Mario Kart
Lindsey Supa
Josh Mohawk

Utopia D

Game/Competition

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. Its race time. Join us for an evening of bananas and blue shells playing Mario Kart 8 and Mario World on the big screens. Feel free to bring your own device to play and share switch codes so the fun can continue after the show.

Friday, June 19, 2026

8:00AM – 12:00AM

Display Setup
Brickworld

Event Hall

Set up displays in the event hall

8:00AM

Registration Opens
Brickworld

Registration Desk

Registration desk opens for convention attendees to pick-up their badges.

8:00AM – 8:50AM

Volunteer Orientation
Brickworld

Utopia C

Presentation

8:00AM – 9:30AM

Breakfast Club
Jackie Haas

Utopia D

Workshop

A light breakfast with an opportunity to meet other attendees and create and take a small build.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

New Attendee Orientation
Philip Straatsma

Utopia C

Presentation

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Advanced Studio Demo
Dallen Powell

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Join the BrickLink team for a panel to learn advanced techniques on Studio to elevate your building techniques!

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Advanced techniques of layout building with BrickLayouts
Justin Rupp
Jessica Rupp

Euphoria

Presentation

Level up your skills with an advanced deep dive into BrickLayouts. We’ll transform an existing layout while exploring powerful features like templates, grouping, layers, configuration settings, keyboard shortcuts, and more. Plus you’re welcome to bring a laptop to follow along hands-on.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

From Screen to Scene - Face Reveal Meetup
Amy Schultz

Imagination

Workshop

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Destiny's Bounty Adventures - board game by Asmodee
Glen Kirk

Other

Game/Competition

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Set #42220 Monster Jam Sparkle Smash Pull-Back
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Set #10696 Classic Medium Creative Brick Box
Natasaha Sims
Carrie Rampy

Epiphany

Set Draft

9:00AM – 9:50AM

LEVERAGING LEGO LIFTARMS: Making Minifigs Move (Vol. 3)
Bethany Wright
Nathan Wright

Utopia AB

Workshop

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Why Do We Build? - A Brick Artists Journey
Red Suit Studs (Tanner Carlson)

Schaumburg AB

Round Table/Panel

10:00AM – 10:50AM

"That Doesn't Even Look Like LEGO!" Building in 1:1 Scale
Nick Jensen

Utopia C

Workshop

Blow away the Brickworld crowd or your online audience with 1:1 scale LEGO creations that look and feel real. Learn tips, tricks, and design philosophy of building in life size scale from master propmaker, cosplayer, and former Brickworld Master Nick Jensen (Nick Brick). Discover research techniques, design for handheld builds, and dazzle with wearable builds.

10:00AM – 10:30AM

Blind Build
Gretchen McNeely

Innovation

Game/Competition

Race your fellow builders to be the first to build a set without looking at the pieces!

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Lighting Workshop
Ben Grayson
TBD

Euphoria

Workshop

A workshop teaching lighting techniques utilizing some third party lights such as Brickstuff. This workshop includes a parts pack that will be utilized for how to teach techniques for threading through and wires. Lighting techniques themself will focus on creating different lighting approaches for single point ceiling, diffuse wall lighting, floor glowing, etc.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Magic Tricks with LEGO Bricks
Gary Haas
Erik Feuk

Schaumburg C

Presentation

Magicians Eric Feuk and Gary Haas are back with more tricks and illusions made with LEGO Bricks! Together, Eric and Gary bring a combined 80+ years of magic experience and a love of LEGO bricks to bring you an interactive presentation to demonstrate and discuss the use of LEGO elements in magic tricks. Eric has been performing magic full time for nearly 35 years. Gary started his journey in magic more than 50 years ago and is mostly retired from performing. He is a charter member and Past President of the Society of American Magicians, Assembly #120.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

LEGO R/C MOC Parade
Steve Hassenplug
John Brost

Competition Area

Game/Competition

See rules

Join us in a parade of LEGO R/C MOCs around the event hall. This isn’t a race, just a friendly parade showing off all the coolest LEGO R/C MOCs around. Of course, like many parades, there WILL be an award for best R/C MOC as judged by our guest judges.

10:00AM – 1:00PM

Minifig Speed Building Preliminaries
Jeff Muhlecke

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

Test how fast you can build minifigures. Open to all ages. Get past the preliminary rounds and compete against the best of the best to see who is the fastest minifigure builder at Brickworld this year. Finalists will be separated into age groups and announced after preliminary competitions are complete.

10:00AM – 10:00PM

Brickfilm Theater
Casey McCoy
Tyler Eyerly

Schaumburg D

Presentation

If you ever need a chance to take a break and relax, we'll be showing films all day from Brickfilmers around the world. Pull up a chair and enjoy!

10:00AM – 10:50AM

RLFM Ambassador Meeting
Brickworld
Dave Schefcik

Imagination

Round Table/Panel

10:00AM – 11:50AM

Set # 75689 Emerald City & Kiamo Ko Castle
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Set #71856 Jay's Transforming Car
Josh Lemieux

Epiphany

Set Draft

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Brickworld Master Panel
E.J. Bocan

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Round Table/Panel

Former Brickworld Masters join together for a panel discussion on style, technique, and any other topic the audience finds fair game. Come see EJ try to moderate a spirited discussion on being Brickworld Master and what it might take for you to someday earn that award.

10:00AM – 11:50AM

Beggar's Canyon Podrace
Doug Kinney

Schaumburg East Podrace

Game/Competition

Is your pod the fastest in the galaxy? Do you always win? Come and race your pod against up to 9 others to see who will win the Beggar's Canyon Podrace. Easy rules set, All materials provided.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

So You Wanna Make Things Move? How To Motorize For A Show
Bethany Wright
Nathan Wright

Utopia AB

Presentation

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Brick By Brick: making LEGO sets accessible to blind builders
Matthew Shifrin

Utopia C

Workshop

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Minifig Photography for Beginners
Owen Bassett

Utopia D

Workshop

11:00AM – 11:50AM

BrickLink Seller Roundtable Discussion
Anastasia Smith

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Come to the BrickLink seller round table, share your feedback and suggestions with the BrickLink team and connect with each other.

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Keeping a theme alive: 20 years of Exo-Force
T.E.

Euphoria

Presentation

Want to know more about the 2006 theme Exo-Force or are already a fan? Join us in a brief history of Lego Mechs and where the current community of Exo-Force builders are headed next!nnIf you are already invested in the theme, you'll want to stick around for the discussion about collaboratives at the end!

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Dirty Buildster
Gary Haas

Utopia AB

Game/Competition

See rules

Dirty Buildster is a LEGO-building competition where participants exchange a random, limited assortment of parts and must build a creation based on a specific theme within a set timeframe.

11:00AM – 11:50AM

FFOL meetup
Gretchen McNeely

Innovation

Round Table/Panel

A time for the ladies of all ages to come together and get to know one another or catch up with friends!

11:00AM – 12:50PM

LGMS Open House
Monty Smith

LGMS Layout

Workshop

Do you want to run your LEGO® train on a big, long track? Come on down to the LGMS layout Friday Afternoon for our Open House! As long as your train runs on batteries and is smaller than 16 bricks tall and 16 studs wide (centered over the track) your train can run with us. Don’t have any cars to pull with your engine? We can share! Don’t have a train at all? Borrow one of our trains! Need some help getting your train to look or run like how you want? Maybe we can help! We’re keen to share our hobby of L-Gauge model railroading with everyone, from complete beginner to master builder. No sign-up is required, just show up and we'll play trains!

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Set #11504 Peace Lily
Chelsy Chesterman
Julian Chesterman

Epiphany

Set Draft

11:00AM – 8:00PM

Food Trucks
Brickworld

Food Trucks

Workshop

12:00PM – 12:50PM

Using AI to Design LEGO
Jake Johnson

Utopia AB

Workshop

1:00PM – 2:50PM

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® in Action
Alicia Bassett
Dave Snyder

Utopia AB

Workshop

Join us for a 90-minute LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® workshop and experience how thinking with your hands can lead to powerful new insights. This interactive session introduces the core principles of the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method, a facilitation approach that uses LEGO bricks to explore ideas and solve problems through storytelling and metaphor. Participants will engage in a skills build and an individual build to experience how the process unfolds. Walk away with a fresh perspective on creativity, communication, and the power of play.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Educator and LEGO Builder
Trevor Mattea

Schaumburg AB

Workshop

How do you translate real-world spaces into LEGO bricks? In this session, Trevor Mattea shares the process behind building a minifigure-scale model of his own home. He’ll walk through measuring real rooms, establishing scale, prototyping with base plates, and ultimately designing a modular system connected with Technic pins. The session includes lessons learned, design compromises, and practical tips for anyone interested in recreating real spaces in LEGO.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

The just2panel
Sarah Genao (just2good)

Innovation

Presentation

just2good viewers are welcome to a special, SUPER EPIC panel filled with EXCLUSIVE LEGO secrets from my nearly twenty years in the community. This presentation is PG-13

1:00PM – 1:50PM

pSumo robot competition
Steve Hassenplug
John Brost, Bryan Bonahoom

Competition Area

Game/Competition

pSumo, or Programmable Sumo competition. We'll have pre-build programmable LEGO sumo robots. Can you program your bot to come out on top? No experience necessary.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Set #11215 Gabby’s Brick-Built Cat Friends
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Set #31150 3-in-1 Wild Animals
Zac Rawls

Epiphany

Set Draft

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Been Around the Brickworld Block?
Luke Horwath
Anne Horwath

Euphoria

Round Table/Panel

Have you ever admired a MOC and wondered how it was made? Does the idea of transporting big or small creations to a convention drive you crazy? Are you working on a build and looking for new techniques or inspiration? Then this interactive panel discussion is for you! Luke Horwath from LEGO Masters Season 5, will be joined by a variety of talented builders who have areas of expertise including mechanization, artwork, storytelling, large scale, mosaics, architecture, life-size replicas, electronics, landscaping, digital building, and more! The session will consist of some ice breaker questions to get to know our panelists, then open up for audience participation. This will be a fun conversation where interaction is encouraged, so bring all of your burning LEGO questions! We’ll explore the creative processes, challenges, and successes of a variety of different builders, so no matter what you build, this is an opportunity to learn, share, and grow in a welcoming environment!

1:00PM – 1:50PM

Systemvej – The First LEGO Factory
Daniel Konstanski

Utopia C

Presentation

Discover the fascinating story of the LEGO Group’s first factory, Systemvej, how its meteoric growth transformed the small village of Billund, and why it was DEFINITELY the barber who did it. Even before construction began, the ground Systemvej would stand shaped the Brick’s hometown in ways that can still be seen. When Ole Kirk Kristiansen built a new factory in his backyard, he could never have imagined what was to come. In the years that followed expansion after expansion would be added to the original structure as demand for the LEGO Group’s toys exploded. This presentation is your ticket to explore LEGO history through the lens of the company's original factory, the products it created, the challenges of its somewhat chaotic expansion, and the way it became the beating heart of Billund. This presentation will feature a host of images from the LEGO Group's internal archive. The presenter is Daniel Konstanski the US Editor for Blocks Magazine and author of The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks. Daniel has had the privilege over the past decade of collaborating with the LEGO Group and fans across the globe to unearth a host of stories from within the company. His knowledge spans the LEGO Group’s entire history and he has personally interviewed over 100 employees past and present as well as worked directly with the company’s in-house historians on a variety of projects.

1:00PM – 2:50PM

Creature Feature: LEGO Monster Mash!
Sam Mascari

Utopia D

Game/Competition

2:00PM – 2:50PM

LEGO Masters Panel
Dawn Sloboda
Manny Garcia

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Round Table/Panel

Former LEGO Masters Contestants share some their experiences on being cast on various seasons of the hit TV show LEGO Masters. There will be time for a brief Q&A so bring your burning questions that you always wanted to know about Behind-the-Scenes of the reality TV show.

2:00PM – 3:50PM

Set #75414 The Force Burner Snowspeeder
Ryan Jackson

Epiphany

Set Draft

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Set #11501 Tulip Bouquet
AnnieJo Eto-Guilford

Serenity

Set Draft

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Galidor – The Untold Story
Daniel Konstanski

Euphoria

Workshop

Think you know everything there is to know about Galidor, the most disastrous LEGO theme of all time? Think again. Come learn the fascinating story behind Galidor. What it was trying to accomplish, how ambitious it actually was, and all the factors which contributed to its demise. You may be surprised to learn how amazing Galidor toys were and the undeniable feat of cooperation and innovation they represent for the LEGO Group. Behind the scenes information, concept art, and much more will showcase the captivating story of Galidor. The presenter is Daniel Konstanski the US Editor for Blocks Magazine and author of The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks. Daniel has had the privilege over the past decade of collaborating with the LEGO Group and fans across the globe to unearth a host of stories from within the company. His knowledge spans the LEGO Group’s entire history and he has personally interviewed over 100 employees past and present as well as worked directly with the company’s in-house historians on a variety of projects.

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Using AI to Design LEGO
Jake Johnson

Utopia C

Workshop

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Bricklink Designer Program Tips and Tricks
Alex Kastelic

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Join the BDP Team to learn about the BrickLink Designer Program. Learn tips and tricks for participating in the program and join the Q&A.

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Building Ourselves - Mental Health Discussion
Anders Wennerberg

Schaumburg C

Presentation

2:00PM – 2:50PM

ACOB Set Release Party
Sean Hummel
Brent Bowers and Cody Stonelake

Knowledge

Workshop

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Military Veteran builders
Brick.dad.builds, (Chris Meeker)

Innovation

Round Table/Panel

Meet, greet, and get acquainted with each other. Share how lego is part of your post service life. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, Coast Guard, reserve and guard included.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Minifigure Quiz - A LEGO Lore Challenge
Andrew Z. Taylor

Utopia D

Game/Competition

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Boat Race
John Brost
Steve Hassenplug

Pool

Game/Competition

See rules

The annual Brickworld boat race in the hotel pool

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Using LEGO For God's Glory
Caleb Huet

Utopia C

Workshop

This activity involves a presentation about a number of ways that LEGO bricks can be used to make a kingdom impact. This will be followed by time for a roundtable discussion about people's personal stories and experiences.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Minifig Exchange
Jeff Muhlecke
Isa Muhlecke

Utopia AB

Workshop

3:00PM – 3:50PM

From Idea to Upload: Creating LEGO Content That Connects
Colin Wylie (Wylie Bricks)

Euphoria

Workshop

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Hallway Disc Golf
Lindsey Supa
Josh Mohawk

Concessions Area

Game/Competition

This is a 9 hole course of lego built disc golf played throughout the convention and hotel. We begin at the grand staircase in front of the display hall entrance to tee off for hole 1. The basket will move around the grounds to create a custom course as the game progresses.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Set #21365 Love Birds
Tyler Urban
Brian Urban

Serenity

Set Draft

3:00PM – 3:50PM

LGBTQIA+ Builders Gathering sponsored by GayFOLs
Skip Concilla

Connection

Workshop

GayFOLs - a Recognized LEGO Online Community (RLOC) - would like to welcome all LGBTQIA+ AFOLs and builders to a meet and greet session. Come meet your fellow builders, catch up with friends you've only seen online, make new friends in the community, pick up some GayFOLs bling, and hear about the latest news and activities in our group, and how you can support our mission in future shows.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

BrickLink: Where Builder's Click Challenge
Charlotte Tonks
Bryce Walls

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Join us for the Brick Building Challenge! Be among the first attendees to receive a mystery bag of bricks and showcase your building skills.

3:00PM – 3:50PM

Why Do We Build? - A Brick Artists Journey
Red Suit Studs (Tanner Carlson)

Schaumburg C

Round Table/Panel

3:00PM – 4:50PM

Beggar's Canyon Podrace
Doug Kinney

Schaumburg East Podrace

Game/Competition

Is your pod the fastest in the galaxy? Do you always win? Come and race your pod against up to 9 others to see who will win the Beggar's Canyon Podrace. Easy rules set, All materials provided.

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Brick By Brick: making LEGO sets accessible to blind builders
Matthew Shifrin

Utopia C

Workshop

4:00PM – 4:30PM

Bricks In Bloom - LEGO Plant Make & Take
Red Suit Studs (Tanner Carlson)

Utopia D

Workshop

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Collaborative group layout planning with BrickLayouts
Justin Rupp
Jessica Rupp

Euphoria

Presentation

BrickLayouts makes live, collaborative display planning simple, fast, and stress-free. Learn how individual builders can design their own modules while a group leader imports and arranges them into one cohesive layout within a shared space. Discover how using powerful collaboration and sharing tools works for groups of any size. Note: This presentation includes some features that are available as a paid subscription.

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Bricks Against Humanity
David Gregory

Inspiration

Game/Competition

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Advanced Lighting for MOCs
Brian Williams

Utopia AB

Presentation

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Minifig Speed Building Finals
Jeff Muhlecke

Concessions Area

Workshop

4:00PM – 5:50PM

Set #75691 Glinda & Elphaba Bookends
Josh Lemieux

Serenity

Set Draft

4:00PM – 4:50PM

Set #11510 Magnolia Branches Set Draft
Chelsy Chesterman
Julian Chesterman

Epiphany

Set Draft

5:00PM – 7:00PM

Garage Sale
Brickworld

Utopia Ballroom

Garage Sale

Buy, sell, or trade minifigures, sets, builds, and anything LEGO. Tables will be first come, first served through purchase through your registration page for a $10. You are limited to 1/2 of a table for selling. There is a timed entry lottery for attendees wishing to go into the garage sale, available as a free purchase also through your registration page. Anyone may enter after 8:50pm if you don't get into the lottery.

6:00PM – 7:50PM

Train Olympics
Brian Williams
Monty Smith

LGMS Layout

Game/Competition

Join Olympic level competitions using Lego trains. Held at the LGMS layout. 1) Racing 2) Weightlifting 3) Tug of War

7:00PM – 10:00PM

Friday Night Bricks
Reed Yaeger
Wagner JR, ZCerberus

Inspiration

Round Table/Panel

7:00PM – 7:50PM

Build and Chat
Gretchen McNeely
Jackie Haas

Schaumburg AB

Round Table/Panel

8:00PM – 9:50PM

Charity Auction
Brickworld

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Esther Walner Memorial Charity Auction. Come and bid on different donated items. All proceeds go to charity.

9:00PM – 10:50PM

Set #21362 Mineral Collection
PBJ_Builds: Paul Johnson

Serenity

Set Draft

Saturday, June 20, 2026

9:00AM – 4:00PM

Public Expo
Brickworld

Event Hall

Public hours for anyone who buys a general admission ticket can come and enjoy the show.

9:00AM – 4:00PM

Public Expo
Brickworld

Schaumburg East Ballroom

Public hours for anyone who buys a general admission ticket can come and enjoy the show.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Bricklink Designer Program Series 11 Finalist Reveal
Alex Kastelic

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Be the first to learn who the BrickLink Designer Program Series 11 Fan Designers are! The BrickLink team is revealing the new Fan Designer sets for Series 11, be the first to see set built for fan by fans!

10:00AM – 7:00PM

Brickfilm Theater
Casey McCoy
Tyler Eyerly

Schaumburg D

Presentation

If you ever need a chance to take a break and relax, we'll be showing films all day from Brickfilmers around the world. Pull up a chair and enjoy!

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Advanced Studio Demo
Dallen Powell

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Join the BrickLink team for a panel to learn advanced techniques on Studio to elevate your building techniques!

11:00AM – 11:30AM

Caboose Train
Monty Smith

LGMS Layout

Workshop

Do you have a caboose in your Lego train collection? Bring it on down to the LGMS layout to take part in the Caboose Train! Let’s gather every caboose in the whole of Brickworld and run them all in one train together. All building styles are welcome, as long as the caboose fits on standard Lego track and is less than 16 bricks tall and 16 studs wide. If you’re not sure that your caboose will run smoothly or fit on the layout, bring it over a bit early and we’ll troubleshoot with you. We will start the train with a limit of one caboose per person, but if it runs well enough with that load, we may add more. We will run the train long enough for everyone to take photos and videos before returning the cabeese to their owners.

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Studio Foundations demo
Anastasia Smith

Schaumburg AB

Workshop

Kick off your digital building journey with BrickLink Studio tips and tricks for beginners

1:00PM – 1:50PM

pSumo robot competition
Steve Hassenplug
John Brost, Bryan Bonahoom

Competition Area

Game/Competition

pSumo, or Programmable Sumo competition. We'll have pre-build programmable LEGO sumo robots. Can you program your bot to come out on top? No experience necessary.

1:00PM – 1:50PM

LEGO Masters Panel
Dawn Sloboda
Manny Garcia

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Round Table/Panel

2:00PM – 2:50PM

America 250th Railroads on Parade
Cale Leiphart

LGMS Layout

Presentation

2026 is the 250th birthday of the United States. Railroads have a long history of patriotic paint schemes from the first Freedom Train to Bicentennial paint schemes in 1976 to the 250th now.nnThe L-Gauge Modular System (LGMS) Layout will be hosting a Bicentennial/250th Parade for Brickworld Chicago this year. This will be a half hour (or hour if needed) set aside to run every red white and blue America themed locomotive and train car in attendance in a parade around the LGMS train layout. The goal is to complete two to three complete loops of the LGMS layout with the parade. There is no competition, and no judging or awards. This is just a parade of trains paying tribute to the 250th anniversary of the USA. This is your chance to show off your red, white , and blue models and have some fun running with others.nnAll who have qualifying model are welcome to participate. This will not be limited to actual prototype Bicentennial or 250th schemes. Anything Red, white and blue or patriotically themed will be welcome. Foobies and fantasy schemes are cool.nnNo politics. This is not a place for that. We don't care what party you support, we don't want to hear about your political ideology. This is a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. Keep it tasteful and non partisan.nnLike the caboose train event run on the LGMS layout there will be rules for reliability. It will be participant's responsibility to make sure their models are tested and in working order before the start of the parade. If you have a breakdown that can not be fixed without holding up the parade for more than a few moments you will need to pull your model off to repair. If you can repair your model you may then re join at the tail of the parade.nnIf you have a car but no locomotive, we can pair you up with someone who can pull your car for you.nn

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Bricklink Designer Program Fan Designer Talk
Alex Kastelic
Dallen Powell

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Join the BDP team along with BDP Fan Designers as they share their experience on developing models for BDP.

2:00PM – 2:50PM

Wearables Photo Opportunity
Audrey Schilling

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Workshop

3:00PM – 3:50PM

BrickLink: Where Community Fuels Creativity
Charlotte Tonks
Bryce Walls

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Where Community Fuels Creativity! Meet the BrickLink team to get a sneak peek into the exciting future ahead.

3:00PM – 4:50PM

Costume Contest
Audrey Schilling
Remy Baker

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Game/Competition

Join us to compete in a LEGO themed Costume Contest! Bring your costumes, accessories, and enthusiasm for wearables, and leave with even more enthusiasm for the hobby! Please submit builds at the link below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScC2cWQNTiKEQFw0d8q2u69x-sAPi4AegRaDMgIGeWq5AcUqw/viewform?usp=publish-editor

7:00PM – 8:50PM

Film Festival
Casey McCoy
Tyler Eyerly

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Sit back, relax, and enjoy dozens of short, LEGO stop-motion animation films from Brickworld attendees and animators from all around the world! After all the films are screened, audience members will vote to determine the best films! Formal and semi-formal attire is encouraged (especially for directors) but NOT required. NEW AND IMPROVED: Bigger screen & better audio! Red carpet photo opportunity! Four *NEW* film subcategory awards! $1400 in festival prizes! Popcorn for audience members! And more!

8:00PM – 9:30PM

Illegal Building Techniques Improv Comedy Show

Euphoria

A comedy show with The Illegal Building Techniques Comedy Group. This is the fourth year for this special event. Come enjoy some laughs with your friends and make some new ones! There might even be some special guests involved!

9:00PM – 12:00AM

Food Trucks
Brickworld

Food Trucks

Workshop

10:00PM – 12:00AM

World of Lights
Brickworld

Event Hall

The main lights in the event hall go out, and the amazing lit creations come out. See how different builders use lights to bring MOCs alive in ways not seen in the light.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

8:00AM – 10:00AM

Low Sensory Hours
Brickworld

Event Hall

This dedicated window is designed for attendees who benefit from a quieter, calmer environment—such as individuals on the autism spectrum, those with sensory sensitivities, or anyone who finds large crowds and stimulating environments overwhelming.

During this special time, Brickworld Chicago will offer a reduced-sensory experience before the general public enters. Lights, sounds, and crowd levels will be intentionally moderated to create a more comfortable and accessible environment for those who need it.

If you are interested in attending during Low Sensory Hours, please contact us directly to arrange tickets. We’re happy to help ensure your visit is a positive and welcoming experience.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Nondenominational Church Service
David Gregory

Shaumburg CD

Round Table/Panel

Everyone is welcome to join us for a non-denominational church service. We will have prayer, sing a few worship songs and have a short message. There's no dress code, so casual attire is welcome.

9:00AM – 9:50AM

Studio Foundations demo
Anastasia Smith

Schaumburg AB

Workshop

Kick off your digital building journey with BrickLink Studio tips and tricks for beginners

10:00AM – 3:00PM

Public Expo
Brickworld

Event Hall

Public hours for anyone who buys a general admission ticket can come and enjoy the show.

10:00AM – 3:00PM

Public Expo
Brickworld

Schaumburg East Ballroom

Public hours for anyone who buys a general admission ticket can come and enjoy the show.

10:00AM – 10:50AM

Bricklink Designer Program Finalist Model Walkthrough
Alex Kastelic

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

The BrickLink Designer Program Series 11 sets have been chosen! Join the BrickLink Team for an in depth look into each model.

10:00AM – 3:00PM

Brickfilm Theater
Casey McCoy
Tyler Eyerly

Schaumburg D

Presentation

If you ever need a chance to take a break and relax, we'll be showing films all day from Brickfilmers around the world. Pull up a chair and enjoy!

11:00AM – 11:50AM

LEGO Masters Panel
Dawn Sloboda
Manny Garcia

Schaumburg West Ballroom

Round Table/Panel

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Demolition Derby
Steve Hassenplug
John Brost

Competition Area

Game/Competition

See rules

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! LEGO® vehicles of all shapes & sizes will compete in a winner-take-all fight to the finish in a demolition derby.

11:00AM – 11:50AM

Advanced Studio Demo
Dallen Powell

Schaumburg AB

Presentation

Join the BrickLink team for a panel to learn advanced techniques on Studio to elevate your building techniques!

1:00PM – 1:50PM

America 250th Railroads on Parade
Cale Leiphart

LGMS Layout

Presentation

4:00PM – 5:00PM

Awards Ceremonies
Mark Larson

Schaumburg West Ballroom

The Awards Ceremony at Brickworld Chicago recognizes outstanding builds and exceptional creativity across a variety of categories, as voted on by fellow participants. It's a celebratory event where the community gathers to honor talent, share applause, and reflect on the amazing work showcased throughout the convention.

Brickworld Chicago 2026Tentative Schedule

Brickworld Chicago 2026
Tentative Schedule