San Diego hosts Lego fete - California

Sunset, Oct, 1994 by David Lansing

You can join or watch the fun at Horton Plaza downtown

IF ALL GOES AS PLANNED, THE first Lego theme park in the United States will open in the spring of 1999 in Carlsbad, California. While you're waiting for the new family park--which, like Legoland in Denmark, will be a sort of United Nations for children, full of model villages from around the world--consider checking out the Lego Construction Zone on October 1 and 2 at Horton Plaza in San Diego. Legos, if you don't know, are small colorful interlocking plastic bricks that can be combined like hand-held atoms to construct houses, tractors, spaceships, and just about anything else the imagination can conjure. More than 1,000 Lego lovers will see who can build the most creative whatever and win one of the elaborate Lego building kits given to the top four finishers in four separate competitions.

Here's how it works. Teams of two to five members are given two shopping bags full of Legos and 90 minutes to see what they can do with them. Some memorable creations from last year's competition: Noah's ark, a computer, and a padlock and key that actually worked. Although you never know what Lego pieces you'll find in your bags, old Lego hands say it's still best to have a couple of designs in mind before the competition starts. And be sure to delegate jobs: one team member can sort sizes and colors while another can immediately begin construction of your project's foundation. Even if you don't win, you get to keep your design as well as your Lego construction hat.

Or you can just watch. Four different competitions, each with up to 300 contestants, take place on the Sports Deck at Horton Plaza at 10:30 and 1:30 each day. The best observation site is on the fifth level of the downtown mall, where you can get a bird's-eye view of what looks like a giant day-care center after an earthquake. The entry fee is $12 per person; all proceeds go to charity. Register in advance by calling (619) 238-1596, or pick up an entry form at the Horton Plaza Customer Service cart on level one.