Medina will celebrate canal’s 200th on Sept. 20 with LEGO-building competition

Photo courtesy of Orleans County Tourism Department: From left, Jim Hancock, chair of Medina’s Tourism Committee, and committee members Kathy Blackburn and Jan Smith pose with a billboard advertising an innovative Building Bricks/LEGO event in conjunction with the 200th anniversary celebration of the Erie Canal.

MEDINA – Medina Tourism Committee has hit on an innovative and new feature to celebrate the Erie Canal’s 200th anniversary.

“It all started at a Tourism Committee meeting when we were discussing the celebration of the canal,” said Jan Smith, a member of the Tourism Committee who came up with the idea to have a Building Bricks/LEGO competition. “There were going to be a lot of communities doing arts and crafts, vendors, food trucks and concerts, and I thought why couldn’t we do something different.”

She said she knew of other organizations who had done events focusing on Building Bricks and LEGOs, and she suggested it to the committee.

“They thought is was a great idea,” Smith said.  “We were fortunate to get a grant from the Canal Corporation to help promote the event.”

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at Sacred Heart Club and will include displays from RocLUG Group from Rochester.

High School arts students have been doing canal-oriented creations, such as boats, docks, the canal and culvert – things that will tie into the canal, Smith said. Entrants are encouraged to be creative in their designs, including things like bridges, sandstone buildings and quarries.

Shawn Ramsey from Canalside Tattoo is planning to do temporary tattoos and set up his LEGO collection for display.

“Individuals in the community can build anything they want out of Building Bricks or LEGOs, as long as they have an emphasis on the canal,” Smith said.

The day will include a sensory area for those who need that kind of activity, Smith said.

“There will be a hodge-podge of activities,” she added

She said she knows of other organizations who have done similar events and they were very popular.

 “People have a very good time doing this,” she said.

Downtown merchants will also participate with a scavenger hunt in the village, in addition to window displays out of Building Bricks and LEGOs, Smith said. They will also be giving out souvenir boats for customers to collect and keep.

To participate in the scavenger hunt, entrants must pick up a registration sheet at Creekside Floral or Sacred Heart Club and drop off completed forms at the front desk of Lee-Whedon Memorial Library.

Entrants will be competing for awards based on age and creativity. The competition is open to all ages and abilities.

A lunch menu will also be available to purchase, offering items such as chicken sandwiches, pizza, beverages and more.