There are few toys with a higher approval rating than Lego (as long as you don't poll parents who just stepped barefoot on an errant brick). While the Danish building block company's sets have long been an A+ gift for kids (even if pricey), the past decade has seen Lego snap together a larger cultural empire that includes legitimately fantastic films (The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie), loads more pop culture tie-ins (Marvel, Disney, The Lord of the Rings, even more Star Wars), and high-end sets targeted specifically at adults who still have that childish builder insider of them. In the past year, Spokane has welcomed both an official Lego Store at River Park Square and local shop Brick Buy Brick in the Garland District.
With the traveling Lego convention Brick Fest Live swinging into the Spokane Convention Center on June 15 and 16, we figured it was time to dream up some Spokane-centric Legos that we'd love to build.
SPOKANE PAVILION
The solid chunkiness of Lego bricks might make trying to capture the spirit of the city's most recognizable landmark a little tricky, what with its spiraling open air cables, but the existence of ferris wheel Lego sets suggests that it could be possible. If pulled off correctly, it could be a striking addition to the Lego Architecture series alongside more worldly landmarks like the Taj Mahal or Notre Dame de Paris (plus, unlike those wonders, you could stage minifigure concerts in a Pavilion set).
LILAC CITY BOUQUET
The Lego Botanical sets are a fun and oddly classy way to add actual non-wilting decorative flavor to your home with brick wildflowers, orchids, succulents and more. Obviously any list of potential Spokane Lego sets would be incomplete without an arrangement of lilacs to represent the Lilac City. If we wanted more local flowers to spruce it up, wildflowers like camas, yarrow and lupine blooms could flesh out the bouquet. Also, no more stressing out because you forgot to water your plants!
MADAME WEB FIREWORKS FACTORY SET
Is Madame Web a good movie? No. Is its climactic fireworks factory scene deserving of a Lego set? Nope. Is this entry just an excuse to find one Spokane-adjacent pop culture set because Lego would have to create a minifigure of Sydney Sweeney's character Julia? Yes. (And also because any Euphoria set would seem even more inappropriate.)
REDBAND TROUT
If you've seen the Spokane Indians' redband trout hat, you should be well aware that rad merch can be created from our city's signature fish. A majestic full-scale model of our finned friend leaping out of the water would make an amazing display piece on any angler's or conservationist's desk (I know my dad would love one). I can already picture the Indians' social media posts of Ribby building one to be his new BFF.
HOOPFEST WITH ZAGS MINIFIGURES
The early 2000s saw Lego Sports sets, where the company teamed up with the NBA to make minifigures of famed players like Gary Payton and Dirk Nowitizki and court sets where the little superstars could "play" basketball. Was it fun to try to play hoops with them? Not really! Fluid motion and Lego do not go hand in hand! That said, a collection of street courts to represent Hoopfest would at the very least look super cool in any sport-centric man cave. And while we're here, why not make minifigures of Gonzaga hoops legends? I want tiny brick versions of Drew Timme and Rui Hachimura on my desk now. ♦Brick Fest Live • Sat, June 15 from 9 am-5 pm and Sun, June 16 from 10 am-4 pm • $17-$30 • Spokane Convention Center • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd • brickfestlive.com
