About PortLUG
Our Purpose
PortLUG is Oregon’s official community for Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs). We are an inclusive group of builders and artists who enjoy a passion for collecting and creating with LEGO.
Our Mission
PortLUG fosters innovation and imagination through cooperation and community. We host monthly gatherings to connect and inspire fellow builders, and showcase LEGO creativity through a variety of public activities, conventions and exhibits.
Our Vision
PortLUG aims to inspire and enable current and future builders and artists in the greater Portland area. It is our intention to grow the community by celebrating the endless possibilities of LEGO.
General Information
What is PortLUG?
PortLUG is a community of adult (18+) LEGO builders in the greater Portland, Oregon area.
Why is the group named “PortLUG?”
PortLUG is a combination of Portland and LUG (LEGO User Group); i.e., Portland + LEGO User Group = PortLUG.
Is PortLUG affiliated with The LEGO Group?
PortLUG is an officially recognized LEGO User Group (LUG), but remains an independent community.
Is PortLUG a nonprofit?
Currently, PortLUG is an unregistered nonprofit community in the state of Oregon.
Becoming a Member
How do I join PortLUG?
Easy! Just sign up for the PortLUG email newsletter and show up to a meeting!
Do I have to live in Portland to join?
No, PortLUG is open to the broader northwest Oregon and southwest Washington regions.
Is there a membership fee to join or annual dues?
Currently, there are no fees or dues to join and participate. PortLUG does rely on member support to help maintain its operations and fund its event activities. Some activities may require a small fee, or supplying your own LEGO.
Is this a group for expert builders?
No, PortLUG welcomes builders of all experience levels and interests. Members range from engineers and artists to teachers and casual collectors. If you like LEGO, you’ll fit in.
Is PortLUG open to children?
PortLUG is an adult (18+) building community. Meeting and event topics can include adult themes and/or language not suitable for small children. If you have a LEGO-building child, you are welcome to bring them to meetings, but they must be supervised at all times. Children are not eligible to participate in PortLUG activities.
Board of Directors
Eli Boschetto
Director
Eli’s first LEGO set was the 1978 Fire Station, #590. He enjoys building pop culture-themed MOCs and mosaics, and is one of the founders of PortLUG’s Death Star Village collaboration. When not building LEGO, Eli is a hiking guidebook author, avid traveler, and NHL hockey fan.
Kelly Bartlett
LEGO Ambassador
Kelly’s first LEGO set was the Yellow Castle, #375. She enjoys building LEGO models in any style or theme! Kelly has been an exhibitor in LEGO House Masterpiece Gallery as well as a contestant on season 4 of LEGO Masters USA. She currently works as a commission LEGO artist.
Laura Bouma
Administrator
Laura has been a member of PortLUG since 2011. Her current favorite theme is Clikits and she builds mostly MOCs based on pop culture franchises that no one has seen. She has been a preschool teacher for a few decades and has five kids and eleven pets.
Bryce Bloodworth
Stasia Kikuharu
Social Media Managers
Bryce and Stasia have embraced the LEGO hobby all over again as adults and firmly believe there’s no such thing as too many bricks—only not enough storage. They are especially drawn to Modular Buildings, LEGO Batman, and nostalgic pop culture sets. When not building, they’re sorting bricks, clearing out the Pick a Brick wall, and collecting parts for their next Batman or Bob’s Burgers-inspired MOC.
Alan Vaughn
Website Manager
Alan’s first favorite LEGO set was Forestmen’s River Fortress, #6077. Currently, he enjoys designing mosaics with lenticular and spatial effects, as well as creating architectural and castle builds at various scales. Professionally, Alan leads a team of data scientists.
Steering Committee
Margit Bermudez
Angel May
Cass McLellan
In 7th grade, Cass accidentally swallowed a 1×6 brick while building! He is always happy to talk about anything Star Wars and Star Wars Lego. Cass enjoys putting his own twists on existing sets and if he had the means, would probably be at Disneyland every month.
Troy Harris
Troy started his LEGO adventure when there were only 5 colors. His retirement hobby includes designing and building Star Wars, Space, and Architectural MOCS and being the Star Wars theme Coordinator for Bricks Cascade. He loves to travel with his wife in the RV and visiting National Parks. Go Seahawks!!!
Stewart Newman
Learn More
The LEGO community uses some unique lingo, so it is helpful to know what these acronyms mean:
AFOL
Acronym for “Adult Fan of LEGO.” This term refers to LEGO enthusiasts aged 18 and up.
LUG
Acronym for “LEGO User Group.” A LUG is a club of adult LEGO enthusiasts (or AFOLs)
MOC
Acronym for “My Own Creation.” This refers to original, fan-designed-and-built LEGO creations. This can also include modifications to, or display enhancements of, existing LEGO sets.
How often does PortLUG meet?
PortLUG meetings are typically the 2nd Saturday of each month, with additional optional events and activities throughout the year.
Where do meetings usually take place?
Currently, PortLUG’s two main meeting spaces are at Shiekh Studio in Washington Square Shopping Center in Tigard, and Brickdiculous in Lloyd Shopping Center in NE Portland. See the Events page [LINK] for more info.
What do you do at meetings?
PortLUG meetings are typically about three hours long, in the following order:
- Hour 1: Social and trading time. Meet fellow LUG members and share ideas and/or project updates. You can also bring your own LEGO parts to trade with other members.
- Hour 2: Official business. This usually consists of community and event announcements, a short program on a LEGO topic, and a MOC show-and-tell session.
- Hour 3: Group activity. Here is where you can participate in optional activities such as build challenges, parts drafts, or other LEGO-themed games or activities.
Do I need to bring a MOC to attend?
No, you are not required to share your builds. If you have one that you would like to share, or are working on one that you need assistance with, you are welcome to bring it.
What events does PortLUG participate in?
Currently, PortLUG’s two biggest display events are Fan Expo and Rose City Comic Con. We also participate in smaller and/or seasonal display events at different locations around the Portland–Vancouver metro area. Most PortLUG members also exhibit at Portland’s annual Bricks Cascade AFOL convention. See the Events page for more info.
Am I required to participate in events?
No, event participation is optional. Events are, however, a great way to showcase your MOC(s), meet and chat with fellow AFOLs and fans, and participate in fun conventions and activities. Most PortLUG events are free to participate, but require advance registration to show your MOC(s). Some of these events also offer volunteer opportunities to help staff the PortLUG booths. AFOL conventions typically have their own entry fee and registration, and are unaffiliated with PortLUG.
More to Explore
Build Challenges
This activity usually consists of PortLUG members being given a theme or direction, and building a MOC using their own parts to showcase at a designated meeting. Challenges are usually kept fairly simple and accessible, allowing for everyone’s participation. Past activities have included: Build something with a goat on it; Build a spaceship using the parts from a bunny; Build a photo of your dream vacation.
Building Games
There are many LEGO-based building games enjoyed by the AFOL community, mostly played at large convention events. PortLUG is currently looking at ways to employ more of these activities at future meetings. Games can include speed builds, blind builds, pair builds, etc.
Collaborative Builds
There are many smaller groups within the PortLUG community that offer collaborative building opportunities. These allow individual builders to participate in large-scale projects that are often displayed at AFOL conventions and other community events. Collaborative themes range from space, town, and trains, to Star Wars, post-apocalyptic, mecha, and great ball contraptions. See the Collabs page for more info.
Dirty Brickster
Dirty Brickster is often played during the holiday season, and is the AFOL version of a white elephant gift exchange. Participants bring a new, wrapped LEGO item (typically valued around $20), and gifts are drawn and/or stolen in a selected order. General rules allow for any gift to be stolen a maximum of three times, and then it is frozen and owned by that participant. Some additional rules may be implemented, and are agreed upon by all participants before the game starts.
Parts Drafts
This popular activity is a great way to go home with large quantities of different LEGO elements. Each participant brings a new, unopened copy of a predetermined LEGO set to the start of the draft. Then, all sets are combined and sorted (“parted out”) into individual lots of elements. Participants then take turns picking lots, one at a time, until all parts are chosen. Everyone gets to keep the elements they choose during the draft. LEGO sets selected for parts drafts typically range from $20–$40, and are usually chosen for their high part counts and variety.
Swap Meet
From time to time, PortLUG will host Swap Meet-style events where members can bring their extra and/or unwanted bricks, sets, and minifigures to trade and/or sell to other members. This can include both new and used items. There is no charge to participate in PortLUG swap meets, and individual sellers can choose their own ways to sell their items.
Proposed PortLUG Bylaws
to be posted
Community Policies
Contact Us
Interested in inviting PortLUG to participate in a convention, community event, library program, or public exhibition?