Local hotel to be hot spot for Lego fans
Brick Fiesta, set for July 7, will be devoted to enthusiasts of plastic building blocks
Brick Fiesta 2016, a pop culture convention devoted to Lego building block enthusiasts, will be held July 7-10 at The Westin Galleria hotel at 5060 W. Alabama St.
The Lego convention consists of two events, a four-day convention for Adult Fans of Lego members and a two-day public exhibition open to Lego fans of all ages.
During the private convention for fan community, guests are invited to socialize and share building tips; attend lectures, workshops and discussions; participate in games, contests and other activities; display their original Lego creations; compete in a Lego sponsored Celebrate Friends Building Competition; and shop a variety of vendors.
The convention’s keynote speaker is Alice Finch, whose Lego buildings have been featured in books, articles, online features, as well as in video, film and radio segments.
She is a featured builder in the movie, “A Lego Brickumentary,” a documentary in which filmmakers Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson look
at the global cultural impact of Lego.
During the two-day public exhibition, the public is invited to view custom-built Lego creation displays; shop vendors selling an array of current, retired and custom Lego sets, parts and minifigures; meet model builders; and take part in hands-on building activities.
Guests are allowed to bring their cameras to take photographs.
Public exhibition passes are referred to as memberships.
Single-day individual passes are $8 for either 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 9 or 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 10. Twoday passes are $12 per person.
A family of four may attend either July 9 or 10 for $20.
At least one person must be an adult.
Families who have more than four members may purchase an additional single person add-on membership for $5.
A Family Two-Day pass costs $32. Add-on admission for the Two-day Family membership is $10 per person. Children three years old and younger may attend for free.
To purchase tickets, visit www.brickfiesta.com. Parking is free.
Brick Fiesta is run by volunteers from the Texas Lego Users Group. Each year, the event moves among four major Texas cities. Brick Fiesta began in 2011.
According to the convention’s website, the purpose of Brick Fiesta is to present creations constructed by Lego fans to inspire others to build their own conceptions.
RICE VILLAGE French wine tasting planned for July 2
French Country Wines, a winery and wine shop near Rice Village, is hosting a free pre-July 4 wine tasting from noon-6 p.m. July 2 in celebration of France’s role in helping America gain its independence from Britain.
Wines available for tasting include reds, whites and several Rouge-Bleu (wines produced in Rhone Valley). French Country Wines is located at 2433 Bartlett St.
The event is open to the public and may come and go during the tasting’s hours.
The wine shop carries hard-to-find French wines.
For information, call 713-993-9500, email info@ frenchcountrywines.com or visit www.frenchcountrywines.com.
SPRING BRANCH Dance studio’s owner overcomes paralysis
Alex Moore’s Danceworks, a dance studio in the Spring Branch area, is celebrating its anniversary, while its owner celebrates continued recovery from a physical paralysis that nearly ended his career five years ago.
Owner Alex Moore has been dancing professionally since 1969 and teaching dance since 1981. He competed as an amateur before going pro and moving into teaching.
Moore has GuillainBarre Syndrome, a neurological condition that produces weakness and diminished reflexes.
In November 2011, he nearly fully recovery from paralysis after spending 11 days in the neurologic intensive care unit at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital.
Before hospitalization, the paralysis affected his legs, arms and produced double vision.
“He still fatigues a bit more easily than before the Guillain-Barre, but otherwise, is able to return to his dance teaching profession full time,” said his wife, Kathleen Archer-Moore, in an email.
The studio offers private and group instruction in ballroom, countrywestern, swing and salsa. Danceworks is located at 1760 Blalock Road.
For more information, visit www.alexmooresdanceworks.com or call 713-305-9712.
WESTSIDE CityCentre hosts July Fourth festivities
CityCentre, a mixed-use development on Houston’s Westside, is hosting four nights of free concerts leading up to its annual July 4 fireworks show.
The concert lineup includes:
• 7-10 p.m. July 1, Soul Infinity, performs Motown and classic rock
• 7-10 p.m. July 2, Cypress Republic Band performs classic rock and country
• 7-10 p.m. July 3, Sunday Night Live plays inspirational music
• 7-11 p.m. July 4, People’s Choice Band performs country and rock followed by a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.citycentrehouston.com.
BELLAIRE Resident’s public relations career is recognized
Bellaire resident Deborah Buks was recently acknowledged by the Houston chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for her lifetime of work in the communications industry.
Buks, founder and president of Houstonbased communications firm Ward, received the 2016 Legacy Award during this year’s PRSA Houston Excalibur for Excellence Awards Gala June 23 at the Rice Lofts’ Crystal Ballroom.
The Legacy Award acknowledges a member’s leadership, expertise and service to their company and community.
Buks said she is honored to receive the Legacy Award.
“In my 35 years in the industry, I’ve seen a lot of changes in both the philosophy and technology of communication,” she said in a news release.
“The one constant has been the countless number of people who teach, inspire, support and encourage me every day.
“Any accomplishment I can claim has been a result of shared efforts with my team, other PR professionals in our community and around the globe, and the clients who allow me to be part of their missions.
“I’m so very grateful to each of them, and especially to PRSA Houston for this wonderful honor.”
Buks, who also is founder and president of Ward’s sister company, OnwardU, has 35 years of experience in all areas of public relations working for local, national, and international clients in a number of industries.
Before establishing Ward in 1990, Buks used to work for top local and international agencies, including Burson-Marstellar, Vollmer (now Edelman), Rives Carlberg and Hill and Knowlton, where she was the then-youngest female vice president in the company’s history.
At Ward, Buks led her team to hundreds of awards including the PRSA Houston Grand Excalibur Award in 2013.
In 2014, Buks was named one of 70 Top Women in PR by PR News.
She was the only Houston public relations professional to receive the inaugural award. Buks regularly lends her expertise to nonprofit organizations in Houston and globally.
She serves on the boards of Congregation Beth Israel and AVDA, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse.
As a survivor of sarcoma, a rare cancer, Buks has volunteered her skills to advance drug research and produce patient campaigns to encourage treatment compliance with board positions for Sarcoma Foundation of America and SARC.