HAMPTON ROADS — Paul Vastano attended a Lego event in Washington D.C. in 2001, and speaking with Lego clubs from around the nation, he decided that Tidewater needed one of its own.
More than 20 years later, Vastano is still building and creating with Lego bricks and has become president of the club he started — the Hampton Roads Lego Users Group (HaRdLUG).
According to Vastano, people take part for a variety of reasons.
“I think it’s Lego itself that drives us to create … one can see something in their mind, in a magazine or in real life and say, I’d like to build that in Lego. You can look on the internet or go to an Adult Fan of Lego (AFOL) convention and see it … This community puts a ton into this hobby and may blow your mind at the creations they build … and it’s never wrong,” Vastano said.
Alisa Anderson, HaRdLUG Ambassador, serves as a liaison between the club and the Lego corporate team. Anderson’s responsibilities include speaking with Lego to share HaRdLUG’s ideas, what does and doesn’t work, and more.
“There are LUGs across the US and the world, and we all have varying needs based on size, location, proximity to Leg stores and events, etc. I love getting to see how everyone does things a little bit differently! Sometimes there are great ideas elsewhere, and sometimes the solutions we have found can ease a trouble spot for others. Ultimately, that interaction is what makes it a community. And sometimes we are even able to submit ideas, photos, or videos to Lego that they can use on their sites,” Anderson said.
Members of the HaRdLUG Club attend Lego events throughout the year. The team brings along with them some of its Lego creations, offers Lego-building advice, and recruits new club members.
“It doesn’t matter if you prefer to build sets, collect minifigures, build your own creations, create imaginative photography or videography with Lego, or some other aspect of Lego joy. We support each other and enjoy sharing with the community, inspiring the next generation of builders — as well as those who used to build and may have forgotten just how much they loved it,” Anderson said.
The HaRdLUG club said it is always looking to add to its membership. Members range in age from late teens to seniors.
“Our meetings are the second Sunday of the month (with a few exceptions when there is a conflict). Currently, we meet at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens in the Holly Room from 1-3 p.m. Those who are interested are welcome to visit our website, hardlug.org — or just show up to one of our meetings! We are always looking forward to meeting new friends who share a love for the Lego brick,” Anderson says.
The HaRdLUG club appears at Lego events throughout the rest of the year. On July 20, HaRdLUG will have a table at the Butterfly Festival at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, and in August, the team will be in Chantilly at Brickfair.
For more information on HaRdLUG or to join, visit hardlug.org.