Almost Heaven LEGO Bash brings master builders to Bridgeport September 25-26

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — A new LEGO expo is heading to central West Virginia, and its organizers say it is the first of its kind in the state.

The Almost Heaven LEGO Bash will bring LEGO vendors, professional master builders and individual exhibitors to the Bridge Sports Complex in Bridgeport on Friday and Saturday, September 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Admission is $10 per adult, and children 5 and under are free. Advance tickets are available at almostheavenlegobash.com.

The event is hosted as a fundraising and community event by the Buckhannon-based Almost Heaven BBQ Bash, and organizers say funds raised will be used as seed money for next year’s BBQ Bash and LEGO Bash.

Admission includes free family activities inside the venue, including take-home sand art kits, a LEGO make-and-take area while supplies last, several build-and-play LEGO areas, a LEGO-themed putt putt course, corn hole, Connect 4 and other games.

Master and professional builders scheduled to attend include Neil Bonness, who focuses on Star Wars builds; Lia Chan, known for her NASA builds; Emmanuel Garcia, from Season 1 of “LEGO Masters”; Mark Lorah of engineerbrickartist.com, who builds detailed buildings and art pieces; Robert Ziccardi, who does a variety of unique builds; Krista Kay; and Chris Dunkle. Organizers say several of the builders are former contestants on the television show “LEGO Masters.”

Their displays are built from thousands of LEGO pieces and include Star Wars scenes, NASA shuttles, the International Space Station, life-size bald eagles, the U.S. Capitol dome, intricate buildings and villages and stained glass windows.

Specialty vendors will offer rare LEGO kits, hard-to-find pieces and Mini Figures, along with collectibles, custom LEGO jewelry and one-of-a-kind 3D-printed items. Vendors scheduled to attend are Beskar Bricks of Georgia, A Family of Bricks of Pennsboro, Bricks Anywhere of Delaware, Let the Building Begin of Florida and Appalachian Ordnance Works of Buckhannon. Visitors can also create their own custom Mini Figure at a Mini Fig station.

Members of West Virginia’s Garrison Corellia of the 501st Legion will appear in authentic costumes from the Star Wars films. Professional face painter Cynthia Casto-Harlo of Cynthia Casto Creations will also be on hand, and Gilbert’s World of Wonder will craft balloon creations on Saturday only. Nominal fees apply for their creations.

Fifty colorful 3D-printed flying pigs will be hidden throughout the complex area as part of a free “When Pigs Hide” game. Anyone who finds a pig and brings it to the LEGO Bash entrance receives a prize.

The LEGO Bash is also partnering with the Carl Hopkins WV Youth Aviation Expo, which will offer aviation-related seminars, guest speakers, rocket launches, drone flights, remote controlled airplanes and more, indoors and outside the complex. Those activities are free.

For more information, call toll-free 844-982-2274 or follow the Almost Heaven LEGO Bash Facebook event page.