Seattle BrickCon, ‘Halo’-Themed Sounders Jerseys & More News

Lego is NOT just for kids: The 14th Annual BrickCon is this weekend at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Sunday, October 4 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.). It’s a convention put on by passionate Lego hobbyists featuring hundreds and maybe even thousands of models made of Lego. Still not convinced? Look at this Lego model of the Titanic—it’s incredible. At BrickCon, you can hang out with the builders, take photos of the coolest creations, and vote for your favorite one. There’s also a “building zone” full of Lego bricks for kids of all ages to play and build cool structures that will also go on display. You can find vendors selling all kinds of Lego sets and other Lego-related merch. Tickets are $10 per person or $36 per family of four, and children under 5 and active service members get in for free.

Limited Edition Sounders Jerseys: Xbox announced that the Seattle Sounders will wear special Halo 5: Guardians-themed jerseys this Sunday in their matchup against the LA Galaxy at CenturyLink. It’s the first time the Sounders have ever changed their jerseys mid-season. At the game, 20,000 fans will receive special t-shirts, though only 200 jerseys will be available for sale. The jerseys are being worn in advance of the release of Halo 5: Guardians, which comes out on October 27. If you’re into video games, you know about Halo, a franchise which has been around for over a decade. The fifth Halo will feature, among other changes, a huge new multiplayer mode called Warzone, which you can learn more about here.

The River Lives: According to The Seattle Times, Mark Powell, the director of Puget Sound programs for the Washington Environmental Council, has just completed 18 swims spanning 55 miles of the Duwamish River. The Duwamish is Seattle’s only river, and is known for being kind of a dump. Currently, it’s the site of a $342 million Superfund cleanup, which will take about 17 years. As Powell swam the river, he noted the wildlife and other items he came across. “Despite everything we have done to it, the river is still alive. It’s not dead,” Powell said. From above, it can look pretty polluted (Powell mentioned seeing a shopping cart, a desk, a washing machine, and many soda and beer cans in the river), but he also saw a lot of living things, including salmon, a bobcat, and three otters.

Seattle’s Oiselle goes to Yale: The New York Times reports that Oiselle, a small Seattle women’s athletic apparel company, has partnered with Yale University to be the official outfitter of their cross-country and track teams. Oiselle has remained pretty under the radar since their start in 2007, and in a world where brands like Nike, Brooks, and others dominate the sponsorship game, the company’s partnership with Yale is surprising. According to The Times, other Ivy League schools looking to stand out from the crowd and also to give their athletes more fashion freedom (Nike has been known to strictly mandate what athletes can and can’t wear) are starting to appraoch Oiselle about possible sponsorships. You can shop Oiselle’s line of bright sports bras, patterned pants, and more here.

Banner Makeover: As part of the Downtown Seattle Association’s Pike Pine Renaissance, new banners are going up all along Pike and Pine Streets to commemorate investments made by Nike, Nordstrom and other stores in the area. Next time you’re walking in Downtown, remember to look up!