The Maritime LEGO Users Group - MariLUG - is prepping for the 21st iteration of 'Bricks by the Sea', our annual Holiday-themed expo.  It once again will be held at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The show starts November 15th, 2024 and will run until mid-January, 2025.

Last year we asked for Nutcrackers, and we received a pile of amazing designs from across Canada.

This year, we are inviting everyone to send us brick-built ornaments to cover some trees with festive spirit!

These will be added to the expo on December 1st, 2024.

Last year, we encouraged LUGs to ship their orders as a group (to me) and when the expo was all over, I shipped them back to the respective LUGs, at their expense. I will do that again. You're also free to gift ornaments to us permanently. I will just have to display them every year

LUGs, or personalities, may just want to send a flat, printed tile / brick design that can fit into oversized lettermail (within Canada). Doing something slender might encourage groups from further away to participate? For anyone that gifts us just a printed brick or tile, I will build the ornament to hold it!

While I expect Canadian LUGs to be the primary contributors, this is open to everyone around the globe!
I think it will make for quite a fun news story!

Some pointers:
- Don't make them too heavy.
- Do build in a hanging mechanism / string loop
- Softball sized, or smaller.
- Do make them sturdy!
- Make them original designs, but re-coloured/re-themed designs are accepted
- Make as many as you'd like!
- place each in a sealed bag for shipping, with the designer's name, email and social media link included (we will tag people as much as we can)
- pack them well for shipping!

DM me with questions or mail us something to:

MariLUG
c/o Shawn McLeod
6030 Merkel Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
B3K 2J5

I will also be at Bricks in the Six, Canada's largest LEGO Fan event, in mid-November, so if all else fails, just get me your ornament there!?

Cheers,

- Shawn

In the fall of 2023, the Maritime Lego User Group (MariLUG) extended an invitation to fellow Lego enthusiasts from across Canada. Their mission? To participate in the captivating winter exhibition known as “Bricks by the Sea.” This creative extravaganza unfolded within the hallowed halls of the Natural History Museum in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The event spanned from late November 2023 to early January 2024, filling the museum with an enchanting display. The challenge posed to other Lego User Groups (LUGs) was simple yet delightful: craft brick-built Nutcrackers that would become part of this festive showcase.

And what returned to MariLUG was nothing short of magical—an array of eighteen Nutcrackers, each one a testament to the imagination and craftsmanship of LUG members from coast to coast across Canada. These whimsical creations stood tall, representing the collaborative spirit of Lego enthusiasts united by their love for the iconic toy bricks.

Thanks to the Participants from:
- VLC - Vancouver LEGO  Club
- SALUG - Southern Alberta LEGO Club
- TOROLUG - Toronto LEGO User Group
- MariLUG - Maritime LEGO Users Group
- NewfoundLUG - Newfoundland LEGO User Group