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The organization has enlisted the help of I LUG, a group of adult LEGO fanatics, to transform the Larchmont Village Center into a LEGO wonderland for "Brickfest," which is slotted for March 29-30 and April 5-6. The group will be constructing a 300 square feet exhibit that children ages "three to 99," will be able to enjoy.
All board member and organizer Wendy Raso of Larchmont asks is that attendees pay $5 to go toward funding the library's 2014 children's programming.
Renamed from last year's "LEGO Fest," after running into copyright issues, Raso created Brick Fest last year after attending a similar event at Lyndurst Castle in Tarrytown with the hope to create an entertaining, kid-friendly fundraiser.
The event took off beyond her wildest expectations, attracting crowds from Westchester, Fairfield and Rockland counties, and raising several thousands of dollars - enough to fund the library's children's programming for a whole year.
"I saw their event and I said to myself, 'This is great. I can definitely bring this to Larchmont,' but, it really exceeded our expectations," she said.
Not only can kids look at the exhibit, but they can also participate in a number of activities oriented around it. The fan favorite: seek and find, which Raso says is a perfect activity for super sleuths.
"The LEGO display is nice to walk around, but it's not very involved. To get people really into the display, I take pictures of tiny pieces at different difficulty levels, then hand out photos," she said. "The kids have to go find what's on their picture and bring it back. It makes it a lot fun, and kids really love it."
Additionally, they hold building competitions with help from the I LUG group, raffles and creativity corners for those who want to build.
"For a family of four to go to the LEGO Discovery Center in Ridge Hill, it costs $70." she said. "We don't have rides, but we have some of the experience for a lot less."
Raso, who has experience with elementary age and special needs children, said the exhibit is particularly great for them.
"I like to think my background helps with designing this kind of thing. When you work in that discipline, you 'get' kids," she said.
She added the exhibit is completely handicap accessible and family friendly.
Wendy Raso is a village resident. Her two children attend school in Larchmont. For more information and to buy tickets, visit Larchmont Brick Fest's website here.
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