It is time once again for the annual North Carolina State Fair. For the past few years (3?, 4?) Joe Meno and I have been judging the LEGO competition. It is fun to help out and only takes a couple of hours to complete. Yesterday Joe and I braved the rain and headed over to the Fair. I’ll post some pictures once the Fair has started, don’t want to spoil any surprises. A couple of observations:
- There were 101 entries this year versus 82 last year. It seemed like there were more and the numbers confirm it. There was a 25% increase in entries.
- While the total number of entries was up, the number of entries in the North Carolina theme categories was down, particularly in the older (ages 10-18) age group.
- There were no K’Nex entries at all this year. Historically there has always been a few and we’ve tried to judge them objectively.
- There were no official LEGO sets entered this year! We did not have to disqualify anyone this year which is a first since I’ve been judging. There were a few models that “borrowed” some ideas from official LEGO sets but nothing we had any issues with.
If you are going to the Fair this year, make sure you swing by the Hobbies and Handicrafts building and check out all of the entries. There is also a small NCLUG exhibit on display as well so check it out too!
My son Peter won the blue ribbon and Best of Show at the NC State Fair for his Campbell University Gaylord the Camel LEGO creation. We want to thank you for the honor–he was thrilled to get more than a “Participant” ribbon this year. He did not build the camel as a contest entry–it was built out of joy after he met Gaylord at a Campbell event. I suggested he enter it rather than the Star Wars scene he had been contemplating. Thanks again for the opportunity and the award.
Dear Mike,
My name is Peter Kelpin, and I am a senior at Davidson College. In researching for a potential paper topic for a class, I stumbled upon Adult Fans of Lego and the North Carolina Lego Users Group. I have been a die hard fan of LEGO since childhood, and still have every single one of my bricks. I am very interested in learning more about the work that NC LUG does.
I was unable to attend this past weekends NC LUG meeting in Raleigh, but would love to set up an interview with you, or anyone within the NC LUG community, to learn more about the work. If you believe an interview is at all possible, please contact me. I am happy to travel for the interview, or schedule a phone/Skype interview.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
Peter Kelpin
Congratulations to your son! It was a great creation and somewhat unique. Over the years we’ve seen a number of UNC and NCSU themed entries but this is the first Campbell U entry that I can recall. I am glad he entered the NC theme category, the number of entries in that section was down this year but many of them were very good. Make sure he enters again next year!
Sorry I didn’t see this sooner, I think I have a comment notification problem with my blog! I believe you have already been in contact with NCLUG which is where I would have directed you. Let me know if you need any additional questions answered and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Hi,
To all LEGO fan out there, this video\christmas card http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pKAjzx4DAA
Merry Christmas
Marc-André Caron, Québec, Canada
Wow Lego Competitions what age group is this for and do the winners get for winning? I love hearing about stuff like this well done to you i love your blog my friend.
The LEGO competitions at the North Carolina State Fair are open to children under the age of 18. They are divided into two age groups – 10 and under and 11-18. Each age group has two categories – original (anything goes) and North Carolina themed (think Kitty Hawk, Biltmore, anything related to the state of North Carolina) so there are a total of 4 potential winners plus a best of show. The LEGO category does award prize money but off the top of my head I don’t recall what it is. Not a lot, probably in the $20 range for first place as I recall, places 1-4 receive money. You’d have to check out the North Carolina State Fair Premium Book for the exact amount.