Building Memories LEGO® Building Competition
Published on July 21, 2026
Voting Now Open!
Step 1: Review the photos of the eight submitted entries
Step 2: Vote for your favorite using the form below (one vote per person).
At the Beach
By: Cape Fear Academy Summer Camp
Description: For our group of twelve 2nd–5th grade summer campers, nothing says 'Wilmington' like a day spent on and under the water. Our campers focused their design on the animals under the water and Masonboro Island, Wilmington’s iconic barrier island reserve. Together, they brought the local coastal ecosystem to life—capturing our town's love for boating above the waves and highlighting the incredible marine life thriving beneath the surface. This build represents our campers' favorite local memories of sunny days on the water, team building, and celebrating the coastal environment that makes living in Wilmington so special.
Veterans Day Parade
By: Dean Poulos
Description: I picked the Veterans Day Parade because it shows historical memory of battles that happened and how we overcame them and tough challenges. My build includes Thalian Hall, Burgwin Wright House and stuff in the Veterans Day parade. Another reason I picked the Veterans Day Parade is because I am a Cub Scout and I have been in the parade for the past three years and I did this build to honor our veterans.
Retroscape Wilmington
By: Austin, Levi, and Jaxon Frost
Description: Our build represents our favorite spot in Wilmington — a place where countless memories were made. It’s a space where anyone, from any background, can come together and escape the everyday stress of life. What unites everyone who walks through the doors is a shared love for video games. We wanted to capture that feeling in LEGO form: a welcoming, familiar place that brings Wilmington’s people, of any age, together.
Showboat
By: Mason Gray
Description: I’m 8 years old and I built the USS North Carolina Battleship because I think it is really cool and I like learning about its history. I tried to make my LEGO ship look as much like the real battleship as I could, including the guns, decks, and other details. I also built the museum, the boardwalk, and the area around the ship so it looks like the real place in Wilmington. My favorite part was figuring out how to make everything fit and finding the right LEGO pieces. I am really proud of how it turned out!
Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden
By: Stephanie Ann Boucher
Description: My build is based on Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden. I love that Carnivorous plants are native to Wilmington. I have a small Carnivorous garden of my own. I was first introduced to Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Garden while participating with a watercolor art group. I was fascinated by the variety of carnivorous plants and excited when I located the small Venus fly traps. The final inspiration was the new city park mascot, Stanley, who I adore. The build features pitcher plants, a Venus fly trap, and other plants and wildlife. At the front, showing his love for carnivorous conservation, is Stanley Rehder. The backdrop for the garden is a landscape.
NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
By: Lauren Donald
Description: Although not entirely to scale, this rendition of the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is a quick representation of our facility and location to the best of our abilities. We included the Aquarium and the beach to show off our wonderful location in Fort Fisher. As a fan favorite attraction, we made sure to include our wonderful guests, whom you can see waiting to enter on our front plaza and getting a good gander at Luna, our albino alligator. While our main site is currently closed for construction and renovation, Luna, a fan favorite herself, is nestled safely inside the aquarium. She is such a large part our family, our Lego model wouldn't be complete without including her.
Thalian Hall
By: Eliot & Owen Bartholdson
Description: Thalian Hall is a special place for our family. Owen, one of the architects of this project, is a young actor who has recently starred several shows on the main stage! His brother Eliot had the idea to build Thalian and Owen provided many details from memory.
Market Street Riverwalk
By: Claire and Anne Ragsdale
Description: Our LEGO build is of the riverwalk because it is one of our favorite places to go in Wilmington. There are many iconic spots included in the build, including Market St., the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Floriana restaurant, and the riverwalk apartments. It was fun to build and we're glad to call Wilmington home.
Click here to view form.
Voting is open online and in person at City Hall, 929 N. Front St., from Aug. 18 through Aug. 31. The winner will be announced on Sept. 1.
Show us what you've got, Wilmington!
Build your best LEGO® creation inspired by a place that makes Wilmington special to you.
As the Wilmington Convention Center prepares to welcome the “Brick Convention,” we're inviting the community to celebrate by sharing their creativity in our Building Memories LEGO® Competition!
What comes to mind when you think of Wilmington? Maybe it's a walk along the Riverwalk, your favorite park, watching fireworks over the Cape Fear River, catching a concert, fishing at Greenfield Lake, or a childhood memory made with family and friends.
Using LEGO® bricks, or a comparable building block, create a model that represents your favorite Wilmington place, landmark, tradition, event, or memory. Whether it's a famous destination or a personal moment that could only happen here, we want to see your story brought to life.
Are you a business owner? Build your storefront, showcase what makes your business unique, or recreate a favorite Wilmington destination.
Are you part of a school, preschool, or homeschool community? Rally your students, classrooms, or clubs and create something that celebrates your school or a favorite Wilmington memory.
Do you lead an after-school program, Scout troop, summer camp, or youth organization? Turn it into a team challenge and let your creativity shine.
Are you a nonprofit, civic organization, or neighborhood group? Share the places, people, and moments that make Wilmington such a special community.
Or maybe you're simply someone who loves to build. Whether you're entering on your own, as a family, or with a group of friends, we'd love to see your creation.
No matter who you are, if Wilmington has a special place in your heart, there's a place for you in this competition. We can't wait to see the incredible creations our community builds, one brick at a time.
Contest Guidelines
LEGO® Building Contest Guidelines
Show off your creativity by building a LEGO® creation inspired by Wilmington!
Theme: Create an original building brick model inspired by your favorite place in Wilmington, a local landmark, a City park, a community event, or anything else that represents the City.
Entry Requirements:
- Include your name, a title for your design, and a brief description (up to 100 words) explaining what your creation represents.
- Open to participants of all ages
- Builds must be made primarily from LEGO® bricks or compatible building bricks
- Entries must be original. Pre-built commercial LEGO® sets are not permitted
- Designs must fit within a maximum footprint of 4 feet by 4 feet
- Builds should be sturdy enough to be transported and displayed
- All entries must be family-friendly
Additional Information:
- By entering, participants grant the City of Wilmington permission to photograph their builds and use those images for promotional purposes on the City's communication channels
- The City of Wilmington reserves the right to decline entries that do not meet these guidelines
Timeline
Timeline
- Aug. 14: Submission deadline (please drop off submissions to 929 N. Front St.)
- Aug. 18–31: Entries on public display
- Sept. 1: Winner announced (The City will contact the winner to coordinate ticket pick-up)
- Sept. 4: Deadline to pick up submissions
Judging & Voting Process
Judging & Voting
All qualifying entries will be displayed at Skyline Center/City Hall (929 N. Front St.) from August 18 – 31.
During the exhibition, the public is invited to view the creations and vote for their favorite. Votes will be tallied, and the winner will be announced on Sept. 1.
For those unable to vote in-person, there will also be online voting options.
Prize: The winning builder(s) will receive tickets to the Wilmington Brick Convention and be recognized on the City of Wilmington's communications channels.
Whether your creation is big or small, detailed or whimsical, we can't wait to see Wilmington through your imagination. Grab your bricks, start building, and help us celebrate the places and memories that make our city one of a kind!