PORTSMOUTH — Master builders, sightseers and more visited the Portsmouth Area Arts Council’s studio this week for the LEGO Brick Faire.

Becky Lovins, PAAC’s executive director, said the event was the first of its kind for the nonprofit.

“We have a local community member who is a member of Ohio LEGO users, a statewide group who set up displays,” she said. “We asked them if they could bring them here.”

The centerpiece of the event was the giant LEGO city, set up by the group. Lovins said it was assembled in a few hours, with separate pieces owned and assembled by club members and brought in to be added to the display.

Mark Neer, who resides in McDunnett, has been a member of Ohio LEGO Users for several years, and said many of the buildings in the city, such as the Nationwide and Huntington Bank skyscrapers, built to scale with other buildings, were based on Columbus and Ohio landmarks.

“We have Jolly Pirate Donuts and White Castle,” he said. “All our buses are designed to be Columbus city buses. E.T. Paul used to be a tire shop. The Spot was a diner chain – there’s only one left in Sidney, Ohio.”

The city, which was encircled by a working train on a 9-volt track, also included features such as a cathedral and a renaissance fair, Neer said.

There were also several creative Easter eggs, if one looked closely.

“This is ‘The Incident,’” Neer said, pointing to one city block, where fire and emergency crews were responding to a house. “They’re getting cats off of roofs.”

There were also many in-jokes and “bad puns,” to be found, he said.

On a lake with several boats, one of the anglers was a human fly creature.

“It’s fly fishing,” Neer said.

He also pointed out a street scene that was especially popular.

“Monkeys on bikes,” he said. “Always a fan favorite.”

Neer said the group has about 20 active members, meets every few months and sets up the displays statewide.

Around the room, several activities were set up, such as an opportunity for attendees to build and race cars, or to build the tallest skyscraper in a timed competition. Winners of the events got a free raffle ticket for several LEGO-themed prizes.

Toddlers had a DUPLO area, where they could play with the version of the blocks designed for younger children, while a free build area was set up nearby.

In it, attendees found a large amount of 2×4 green bricks, donated by the LEGO company, for use in construction.

“It’s build what you want, when you want,” Lovins said, pointing to the finished pieces which were put on an adjacent display table.

There was also an art gallery, filled with LEGO reproductions of works like Andy Warhol’s soup cans, Rene Magritte’s “The Son of Man,” Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” and Piet Mondrian’s “Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow.”

Lovins said the response to the event had been “incredible.”

“Since admission is free for kids, we’ve had a lot of families come through. I’ve seen some who have been here for their third night.”

PAAC has several upcoming events scheduled, such a free Shakespeare in the Park presentation of Macbeth, set for 7 p.m. Aug. 21 on the alumni green at Shawnee State University. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.

For more information on the Ohio Lego Users Group, visit www.ohiolug.org.