SAN ANTONIO — Families can spend hours building the perfect ofrenda to honor their loved ones for Día de los Muertos, but 220 of them?
That's how long staff at LEGOLAND Discovery Center in downtown San Antonio said it took "master model builder" Kevin Hintz to construct a colorful, vibrant and bricktastic take on a Day of the Dead altar. It measures 10 feet long and contains all the elements one would expect from an ofrenda – marigolds, calaveras and an eye-popping table runner – only made of LEGO bricks.
About 65,000 of them, to be exact.
LEGOLAND San Antonio creates 65,000-brick ofrenda
LEGOLAND San Antonio says this is the first time the discovery center has participated in the annual tradition to this life-sized extent, and is inviting guests to bring photocopied photos of loved ones who have died from now until Nov. 12, when it will be taken down. (Just be warned: The discovery center says guests won't get those photos returned to them.)
“As this tradition continues to grow, LEGOLAND Discovery Center San Antonio is proud to join in this important time of year with San Antonio residents and visitors," General Manager Kou Vang is quoted as saying in a statement.
Ofrendas started popping up all around the city in October, tended to by artists, organizations and families. Ofrendas are a main element of Día de los Muertos, and a space for family members to leave things their loved ones enjoyed the most in life, such as snacks, as well as photos and religious symbols.
This isn't the first time the discovery center has joined in on a San Antonio tradition using LEGOS; earlier this year, staff also invited guests to create their own Fiesta medals using LEGO pieces.
The discovery center is located at Rivercenter mall, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days.
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