Mechelen Speelstad 2016

For the third year in a row, we had been invited by LEGO Benelux to attend Mechelen Speelstad, not really a convention, but a real children event.
So we send along 6 of our most serious members for a day of entertaining the little ones.

Meet the team
Top Row: Kris, yours truly and Inge
Bottom Row: Matthieu, Wilfried and Saskia, who has just joined BeLUG 2 days ago.

Mechelen Speelstad basically changes the center of the city into one big playground, with a lot of activities for the kids to do, a lot of children orientated clubs and institutions present, and a podium with the Ketnet Band amongst others that brought live music.

There where a lot of cool acts, like stiltwalkers and spacemen, as well as lot of cosplayers present.

I couldn`t make it to the other squares of the event, but the attendance, even though it was a rainy day, was really great, and the atmosphere truly relaxed.

I mean, even the local Police force could be swayed to touch their inner child for a moment...

I mean, we weren`t here to recruit AFOL`s (though we did ensnare one ;-) ) but to entertain children.  LEGO had a lot of activities in our tent, like build tables, Nexo Knight games and more.

They also brought along quite a few of those big `store display` statues.

Another thing they had present where the upcoming Friends sets for the summer release, including the awesome amusement park range.

Our booth included a variety of MOC`s, most but not all based around this years theme, Space. 

And here are some, but not by a longshot or this would be an immense post, some detailed pictures of the builds, taken by Saskia:

Of course, the inner person had to be strenghtened as well, until the bell tolled 5 and the event ended.  Personally, I really liked this event, it`ssomething completely different from what I usually attend, and they can put me down for next year again :-)

The Loot

While the event brick will follow, we did get some small freebies.  There where goodie bags distributed to the children by the event organisers, and we knew it had Lego polybags in it.  So I`ve put on my "smooth talking smile", went over and asked if they had some of the bags for 6 grown children.  It wasn`t a problem at all, so apart from some glow in the dark stickers and such (the smurf loves them), I got myself an ARC fighter polybag.

We also got a small Friends polybag (the other choice was a Bionicle one) for our efforts, while at the Lego booth itself I snatched up one of the Club magazines, still a pity they don`t send them out anymore.

And now?  Only 4 more days before I leave for the next convention on the menu, as next weekend our very own Brick Mania Liege is taking place in Cheratte.  Expect a full report probably next monday, and maybe I`ll see you all there?