Lego enthusiasts of all ages will be out and about in Newcastle this weekend, as Newcastle Brickfest returns for a good cause.
More than 240 tables filled with Lego builds will be on display at Newcastle Jockey Club all weekend, with Lego builders coming from Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast.
The community event, created by volunteer Lego fans, will showcase some of Australia's best Lego builders, including contestants from Lego Masters 2022.
Newcastle's Lego Masters contestants Paul and Trent will be at the event, ready to inspire budding Lego builders.
The fun-filled day is not just for Lego lovers. All funds raised from the event will go to the John Hunter Children's Hospital Kids Club.
Event organiser Kevin Evans said Newcastle has a large Lego community, set to bring some impressive builds and eager attendees.
"Outside of the capital cities, Newcastle was the first place to get a Lego certified store so a lot of people put their hand up to display their work," he said.
"At Newcastle Brickfest you have got those that build sets and then you have got the other extreme of artists who use Lego bricks as a medium for their art.
"There are a wide range of sets on display, including people who modify sets or create a diorama or build from scratch so there is a range from one extreme to the other to see."
Up to 4000 people are expected to attend the event this weekend, after it attracted over 5000 people in 2019.
This year marks the ninth year of the annual Newcastle Brickfest.
After being held online for the past two years, attendees can expect this year to be "bigger and better than ever."
"Last year when we did it virtually we would post photos and videos of displays and we had a couple of live interviews during the day but we get more people actually coming to an event than those that came online," said Mr Evans.
"Being online means it is still available now and you can still find it, but being in person means we can raise money for charities."
The event started as family idea, after Mr Evan's wife Angela wanted to find a creative way to fundraise for their local primary school.
Since 2014, it has grown into an annual event attracting thousands of people from across the country.
"My wife and I found other states had a couple of places that were running Lego shows and we thought we could try that ourselves to fundraise for the school and it just grew," said Mr Evans.
"We had a fair few people that were interested in displaying their work in Newcastle so we started it there three years later."
Every two years profits are donated to a different charity.
Over the next two years all profits made from Newcastle Brickfest will be used to support sick kids at the John Hunter Children's Hospital.
Attendees at the event this weekend are set to be inspired, with the festival featuring a moving Lego build of the city, opportunities to interact with the exhibitors and fellow Lego lovers, as well as Lego building competitions for different ages.
The event will be held at Newcastle Jockey Club on Saturday from 2pm to 5pm and Sunday from 9:30am to 5pm.
Tickets for Saturday are sold out, but a limited number of tickets are available for Sunday and can be purchased online.
