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Way of Lights 2021

After a year’s hiatus due to COVID-19, GtwLUG is proud to announce that we will once again be displaying seven days per week this holiday season at The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows as part of the Way of Lights activities.  Along with our usual many tables of smaller displays, this year we are planning on our largest LEGO city ever.  You won’t want to miss it!

IMPORTANT VENUE CHANGE NOTE: Unlike years past, this year we will be displaying in the Visitor’s Center, which is on the right just past the camel rides and kettle corn.  We will be in the former location of the restaurant.

We will be following the guidance of the Shrine and the State of Illinois for COVID-19 pandemic precautions and will have further details as we get closer to the date of the event.  Currently the Shrine is requiring masks for all visitors to indoor spaces, which would include our display.  Additionally, we’re gearing this year’s setup to allow visitors to follow a single path through the various tables and will have individual seek and finds at each table rather than one display-wide list of items to search for in order to encourage guests to stay with their groups and follow appropriate social distancing guidelines.  Based on traffic patterns from previous years, we recommend visiting the display earlier in the season and/or on a Monday through Thursday night if you wish to limit your exposure to larger crowds.

Hours, directions, and pictures from previous years’ displays are below.

November 19th – December 31st, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
(closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day)

Tickets are $5 for Adults and children 4 and over (children 3 and under are free).  Tuesday night is family night, and tickets are only $4.  Monday night veterans and active service military members can also get tickets for $4.

Visitor’s Center
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
442 S. DeMazenod Dr.
Belleville, IL 62223

YouTuber TW Bricks put together this video tour of our display.  Check it out!

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Brick Days – Omaha 2021

GtwLUG is proud to be a guest LUG at Brick Days – Omaha for the first time. Having not been able to display locally in over a year and with Brickworld Chicago cancelled for the second straight year, we’re excited to be able to take part in what will probably be the largest LEGO convention in the midwest in 2021. For more information or to purchase tickets, see the Brick Days website. Note that plans are subject to change, so keep an eye on the website and Brick Days Facebook page for the latest updates.

July 24th – 25th 2021

Mid-America Center
1 Arena Way
Council Bluffs, IA 51501

The event was a success, and the club brought home 3 nominations and one award.

Club members posing with the “Builder of the Plains” trophy, which is engraved with the names of the top builders honored at past Brick Days.
Club member Michael’s “Bogreol” (Danish for “bookcase”) beat out two other nominees and won Best Large Creation.
Club member David’s “Red Mansion” was nominated for Best Small Building.
Club member Brian’s “Mandelbrot Set” was nominated for Best Artwork. His entire math display was awarded an Honorable Mention.
Club member Michael’s was interviewed by YouTube channel Beyond the Brick about “Bogreol”.
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FairyBricks Donation – Shriners Hospital for Children & Mercy Hospital

On September 22, 2020 the club distributed 6 additional cartons to Shriners Hospitals for Children – St. Louis and Mercy Hospital St. Louis. Laura Teague, Senior Recreational Therapist from Shriners Child Life Department received the donation at Shriners, and Alberta Zanardi, Manager of The Child Life Department at Mercy, and Chelsea, a Child Life Specialist at both Mercy and Shriners, received the donation at Mercy.

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National Model Railroad Association National Convention – Gateway 2022

UPDATE (6/9/22): We are currently NOT confirmed for this show. If this changes, we will remove this message and add this show to our list of upcoming shows.

The National Model Railroad Association holds one national convention per year, and in 2022 it will be held in St. Louis.  The GtwLUG will be joined by other regional LEGO user groups as well as local and national model railroaders, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to put on a great and unique display. We were originally scheduled to display at this show in 2020 before that convention was cancelled, so we are grateful to have another opportunity.

Purchase tickets in advance here 

August 7th – 13th, 2022
Schedule of events will be posted in March

Collinsville, IL Gateway Convention Center
1 Gateway Drive
Collinsville, IL 62234