Lego convention in Brentwood features Taylor Swift, other creations this weekend

Hundreds of small, blue Lego pieces surrounded a massive World War II-era battleship. On the ship’s port side, a single figurine of a sailor lay on the blue pieces as if a man overboard. Four sailor figurines gazed down at the floundering sailor from the ship's deck.

Spectators inside Suffolk Federal Credit Union Arena in Brentwood marveled Saturday at the detail of the nearly 13-foot Lego display during the first session of the two-day Long Island Brick Convention, billed as the “ultimate Lego fan event.”

Building the ship required about 17,000 Lego pieces.

Hundreds of Lego enthusiasts crammed inside the cavernous arena to witness professional displays, browse for rare items to purchase and celebrate the hobby that can transfix children and adults alike.

The traveling Brick Convention, founded by Greyson Riley, featured Lego mosaics like a portrait of Taylor Swift, massive lighted displays like a Ghostbusters-themed scene with a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and a chance to pose for photos with Mel Brown, who appeared on Season 1 of the Fox show "Lego Masters."

Liam McCabe celebrated his 11th birthday Saturday and went home with a Lego set of the retired Marvel Comics Venom character.

“He was super excited about that one,” said his mother, Melanie McCabe, of Queens.

Liam estimated he could complete the 297-piece project in as quick as 30 minutes.

“Or a day — max,” he added.

Melanie McCabe said her son has ADHD and Lego projects help him focus and allows him to be creative.

“There’s something for him to be proud of that he completed at the end,” she said.

Andrew Van Buren and his wife, Kayla, of Brooklyn, set up a large display with more than a dozen Lego projects, many of which featured a "Star Wars" theme.

Andrew Van Buren, 27, said his enthusiasm for Legos reignited during the pandemic. Most of their creations included lights, which “really elevates and brings a display to life more than just building the brick in a unique way," he said.

The layoff from childhood to adulthood hardly slowed him down.

“It was like a snap of the finger,” he said once he returned to Lego building. “You could feel all the nostalgia.”

George Smolen, 15, said he’s been building Legos for as long as he can remember. The teen set up his first display at the convention Saturday — a working Polar Express train made entirely of Legos.

“The train is the most difficult part,” he said, adding that the rest of the scene, like trees and snowmen, took about a month to build.

With the aid of movie pictures as a guide, George built the display from scratch. His grandfather, an engineer, helped him figure out how to make the train move.

His mom, Melissa Smolen, of Clifton Park, said the display has been “a hit” with spectators.

“Everybody loves a train,” she said.

The convention featured three separate sessions Saturday and resumes Sunday with two sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at brickconvention.com.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

---