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The Holiday Season is approaching fast and that means it is time for an annual tradition in the Town forum. Join the Expand the Winter Village Contest VI, show us what creation you would add to the Winter Village and let's give TLG plenty of ideas for the Winter Village series for years to come! Head over to the Town forum and join the fun.

Days are getting shorter, leaves are starting to fall... the Holiday Season is approaching and that means it is time for an annual tradition in the Town forum. With TLG seemingly out of ideas on how to further expand the Winter Village, it's entirely up to you. So show us what creation you would add to the Winter Village and let's give TLG plenty of ideas for the Winter Village series for years to come! The Rules Entries must be posted by midnight GMT, December 31st, 2015. One entry per member. Entries must be similar in size to an official release LEGO Winter Village set. Entries should be either Town-themed or Friends-themed and may include either (or both) Minifigs and Minidolls. Entries should be new (never posted anywhere previously) and be similar in style to the previous official TLG releases. All entries are to include only real LEGO. No clone brands, 3rd party parts, or digital entries allowed. Decals will be allowed if you've made them yourself, but no cutting, sculpting or modifying parts. Entries are to be placed in their own entry topic in the Town forum. The title of the topic should begin with "Winter Village: " and then give the name of the entry. The entry post (first post in your entry topic) may be edited at any time up to the end of the contest, so feel free to make improvements if you wish. Entries are to consist of no more than 5 posted pictures of 1024x768 pixels or smaller resolution but may also include a link to a folder of additional images of any size. The first picture will be used for your entry in the voting thread. Photos of your creation can be manipulated with Photoshop for levels, proportions and color correction but may not include graphic enhancements. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not follow these rules. The Prizes First Prize: Either 10247 Ferris Wheel or 10251 Brick Bank or 41101 Heartlake Grand Hotel Second Prize: One of the two sets that is not chosen for First Prize, of the three sets above. Third Prize: Whichever set is not chosen for First Prize and Second Prize, of the three sets above. For Inspiration and Reference Expand the Winter Village Contest V: Winners | Entries and Voting | Rules and Discussion Expand the Winter Village Contest IV: Winners | Entries and Voting | Rules and Discussion Expand the Winter Village Contest III: Winners | Entries and Voting | Rules and Discussion Expand the Winter Village Contest II: Winners | Entries and Voting | Rules and Discussion Expand the Winter Village Contest: Winners | Entries and Voting | Rules and Discussion Best of luck everyone, we're looking forward to seeing your entries!

Six years ago I took part in the very first Expand the Winter Village contest here on Eurobricks. Ironically, the set released then and the one released now are remarkably similar. Anyhow, let's hope this one is not at all similar to my entry six years back. Dickens Tavern Based off of Charles Dickens' Christmas stories, this model features a tavern, two snowy trees, and eight minifigures. Inside we see an old farmer keeping up the holiday cheer with a hot cup of grog. Inside is also a barrel of ale and a glass and bottle full of rum. Meanwhile, in the snow, Fred and Janet (named after Scrooge's Niece and Nephew in A Christmas Carol) enjoy a lighthearted flirtatious snowball fight. Ebenezer the Chicken watches with interest. Bill the Carpenter has a chat with Gideon the Innkeeper about building new tables inside, while Bill's dog Cotter wants to chase Ebenezer the chicken around. Alongside the Tavern, a Little Drummer Boy and Little Fifer Boy play music to spread the Christmas cheer. Even though Gideon's cow Gladys can't find any grass, she still swings her tail to the heartwarming music. Lastly, Evans the grocer drops by with a wagon full of carrots, apples, cabbage, fish, sausages, mutton, and bread for everyone's Christmas dinners. His cat Dot is hungry for the fish, but Fann the horse wants to keep going, because a bale of hay awaits her at home. I hope you enjoyed looking at this model as much as I had building it. If you want to see it up close, drop by the LOLUG Brick Show in Lincoln, Nebraska on November 21. In the meantime, Happy Christmas, and as Tiny Tim said, "God bless us, every one." Always entertaining, always inspiring, always:

The design for this model is really a long story, it all started with a small shed for a sleigh, then developed into a market with shops which as for the first ended badly. Finally it became this a small town square fit for a Lego Citty. This set (simply reffering to my MOC as a set) includes three small snow mounds, A frozen fountain a small bench, A patch of snow with Christmas tree, a horse drawn sleigh (altered version of my original) and the focal point a gate and fence. So without further ado my Christmas MOC: The first photo shows the Christmas Queen elected by a panel of judges in a beauty pagent riding in the honorary sleigh, passing out presents to all the good boys and girls of the town. This shows an overview of the whole park with the small fountain and some people snowball fighting. This shows the fountain the statue replaced with a small christmas tree honoring the season and two of the towns most pristigious buisness men solving the argument with a good old fashioned snowball fight. This final photo shows the gate into which you enter the park it is a known site for the villagers and a favorite meeting point. I had a lot of fun with this MOC (and storyline) and comments are greatly appreciated on all aspects including both story and model.

Hi! This is my entry for the Expand the Winter Village contest. Mountain shelter, usually located near the summit, is a place, where hikers and mountaineers can rest after the hike, have something to eat and drink or even sleep. General rule is that no shelter will refuse a guest to stay overnight, but if the beds are already taken he or she has to sleep on the floor. Many European shelters are quite old wooden buildings, often with stone foundation. They provide few comforts, but they usually have a toilet and a shower (although hot water supply is very limited). Shelters serve hot tea or coffee and basic foods like scrambled eggs or pork chop. While waiting for the meal, guests can dry their gloves or socks at the fire. Every shelter has a map of the area to help hikers plan their route. Next time you'll be hiking in the mountains, make sure to visit a shelter to see if it's similar to my model. Have fun!

Winter Village Ice Skating Rink IMG_7729 by brickmastermatthew, on Flickr Welcome to the Winter Village Ice Skating Rink. You can go skating on the ice, IMG_7744 by brickmastermatthew, on Flickr Or get some warm hot cocoa at the Hot Cocoa stand .IMG_7747 by brickmastermatthew, on Flickr If you didn't bring your own ice skates,you can go into the Ice Skate Shop. IMG_7749 by brickmastermatthew, on Flickr Look, the owner even has some treats too! IMG_7752 by brickmastermatthew, on Flickr It has four mini figures.That is my entry for the Winter Village Contest. IMG_7735 by brickmastermatthew, on Flickr

My entry to the Expand the Winter Village Contest VI is a WV Train Station. I bought the sand green roof and pllates a couple years ago with a small rural train station in mind, and I finally found enough time and motivation to actually build it. The station lies in a rural area, and is not highly frequented, so the one platform is sufficient for all the train stopping at the station. Close to the station is a semaphore signalling post. The station is built from the rock found in a near by quarry. Inside the station there's a table used as a ticket booth. Behind the table is a small wood burning furnace to keep the place warm in the winters. On the other side there's a bench for the passenger, and a small Christmas tree put up by the two employees of the station. More pictures can be found on my Flickr.

Another year, another Winter Village contest, yea? It's pretty exciting, honestly, and I love to see what everyone is doing. This year, I decided I wanted to try a different style, so I present to you: Shop von Robotern, a...low-budget robot shop set up in lower New York by a couple of German brothers, the Armbrusters in the 1960s. Yea, you heard me, a robot shop. In the '60s. Have I been playing too much Fallout? Irrelevant. Man, look at the store. Full of customers and robots. They're so happy. Not so much the robots, since they can't think, but all the humans have smiles. The front, kind of. Front curve. It's a weird structured building. The door is on the side, but the perpindicular wall is also a side, not a front...it's confusing. Displayed in the front windows are the newest in home robot technology, aptly named "cleaning 'bots". Fun guys who sweep your floors for you. The Armbrusters know what people like, and since it's Christmas time, well, they decorate for Christmas! And with a pleasent garland right over that door. The Armbrusters, clever lads, decided to incorporate some robot parts around the door. You know, just to show the good folk who are passing by what the store's all about. The other side gets some Christmas wreaths, all very pleasant, of course. I'm using that word a lot, sorry. Anyway, here's the other wall. The windows display two more robots, called "harpoon 'bots". They're all-terrain robots, mainly prioritized to harpoon stuff. Doesn't matter what enviroment - desert, underwater, forest - if it moves, they can harpoon it, probably. There are a few bugs to 'em. This is the store when no one's there. Let's say it's 9 pm, closing time. If you look closely at your computer screen at the picture, you can see both the cleaning 'bots and the harpoon 'bots. So I wasn't lying about them. There's even a nice little Christmas tree. Man, don't those Armbrusters love to decorate, huh! Yea, there's my entry. Want more pictures? Too bad. Ha! I'm just kidding. Here you go: Hello! A full album of pictures! With creative names such as "Empty Shot". I really went all out. In all seriousness, please check them out. There's some different angles, and pictures of the figures, good fun. Enjoy! - JackJonespaw

HALLO FROM ITALY !!! This is my first MOC, and the first time I post something on a forum. I'm 53 and I post my simple "Winter Jewelry". As you can easily see nothing to do with the superb creations of professionall builders (and phtographers too ...), but I hope you enjoy it. Happy new year to all LEGO fans !!! Marco

Skating rink in the city park is the nice place to spend time on Christmas holydays. You can rent a helmet, skates or hockey stick and show your skill

Here's my entry for the Expand the Winter Village Contest: a small town hall that turns into a huge advent calendar every year in december. Behind each window there is a small present for the children of the village. For more pictures see the album at flickr. Hope you like it and merry christmas to everyone. May santa bring you a lot of bricks

Every Village needs a local shop where they can buy snow shoes or get spare keys cut or a trophy engraved. This maybe the first actual town model I've build, and it became clear halfway through that I don't have a whole lot of house type bricks, like doors or windows, which is why it is maybe a bit small. There are a few other pictures on my flickr page.

My entry for the contest: Winter Village Brewery with a pub. Also includes a lorry (for transporting frest bevarages), clocktower/silo for malt, publican's cozy (yet messy) apartment and three old geezers found outside country pubs all over the universe. The back is open like in offical winter village sets, so the interior is playable. I took part on this contest previously in 2010... I hope my building skills have developed since then! More pictures on my blog Cyclopic Bricks. Merry Chrismas to everyone and have fun building your entries! And, naturally, feedback is always appreciated!

It's that time of year again when the days get shorter, the nights get colder, and children all around the world stare longingly into warmly lit toy shops and prepare their wishlist to send to Santa. This is also the time when The Lego Group releases their latest Winter Village set which has been an annual tradition for the past seven years. These sets have been very popular, especially among AFOLs, and are always highly anticipated. However, while some entries in this series have been more popular than others, none has been as controversial as this year's set, the Winter Toy Shop, which is a re-release of the first Winter Village set, 10199 Winter Toy Shop from 2009. It seems that many think that this set didn't need to be remade and would have preferred a new set instead, or that it is not different enough from the original and will be redundant in a completionist's collection. Does it deserve all the hate? Let's find out. Disclaimer: I don't own the 2009 version, so I can't compare them visually, but I will do my best to let you know what is different in this version. If you do need a visual reference, you can refer to Svelte's excellent review of the original. Set Number: 10249 Name: Winter Toy Shop Theme: Creator Year of Release: 2015 Pieces: 898 Minifigs: 8 Price: £59.99 / $79.99 / 69.99€ S@H description: S@H Bricklink Brickset The Box The box art of this set is similar to that of the original, but there are some notable differences. The Christmas tree is on the right side of the image this time while the park bench is on the left and of course it features this year's design for Creator boxes with the dark blue stripe along the right side and the "Expert" logo in the top right corner. There's also a small picture of the back of the toy shop and the background looks less cartoony than on the original. The back is also very similar, showing a different angle of the toy shop along with some close-ups, although this time there is no minifig lineup. Instead, the minifig lineup is on the right side of the box. It also includes the accessories that each minifig comes with and some of the toys. On the left side of the box there is a thumbnail of the box art and the set name in six different languages. They also want to make sure that you know that there are batteries included by saying it in dozens of languages. The top of the box features the inventory and a 1:1 scale reference with the female caroler. On the bottom there is a picture that reminds you that there is a light brick included in this set, in case that wasn't clear from the front of the box, and it confirms that yes, it is a bad idea to put it in water, in case you were planning to go swimming with your Winter Toy Shop. The Contents Inside the box there are two instruction booklets and two groups of bags, one for each instruction booklet. While two groups of bags is not as many as there usually are in other sets of this size, it's still better than the first version of this set where the bags weren't numbered at all, so this makes the build a bit easier. The large bag in Group 1 and the two large bags in Group 2 have a white stripe going down the middle of the bag and only have one group number printed on it along with some other number and some kind of scan code. I have no idea why they made this distinction for these bags or what that code is for, so if any of you know the purpose of this, please let me know in the comments below. Here is a random instructions page. As you can see, the building steps can get quite challenging as they sometimes include many different pieces in one step, especially when it uses a lot of brown pieces which are very dark and hard to see in the instructions, living up to the set's status as an expert-level set. Most of the time, though, the instructions are pretty clear and easy enough to follow. There are some parts in new colors in this set that weren't in the first version or any other set until now, such as that large, flat Technic arch in dark green, the jester hat in orange and blue, one of those new 2z2 round jumper tiles in brown, a golden frog(!), and a snowboard in dark blue. There are also some rare Friends parts that make their Creator debut here such as the skis in azure and that new clear 1x1 round tile with a tiny tube coming out of it which is usually used as a stand for Friends accessories and is a very useful piece, especially for SNOT techniques (and no, I'm not talking about the type of snot that many people usually have stuck in their nose around this time of year). There are some printed parts as well, such as the clock tile, the letter tile, and the register slope like in the first version of the set. We also get a new face print for the white cat which is more in line with other modern cat designs. But the best part is the shop sign which is printed this time around. It features a lovely wood pattern, the words "toy shop", and a toy soldier on both sides of the sign. Which is ironic since the shop doesn't seem to sell any toy soldiers like this, but it looks so good on the sign that I won't sue them for false advertising. The Minifigs Let's start with the most unique figures in this set, the carolers. These two were also the highlight in the first version of the set, but in the original they both had the same head (this one -> ) which featured a very questionable facial expression that could easily be taken out of context. In this version, they have unique faces which look much better and help distinguish their gender. The male caroler uses Lord Vampyre's torso which looks quite snazzy on him. Maybe this is Lord Vampyre before he became a vampire? The female caroler is easily the best minifig in the set, though, because in addition to her exclusive head, she also gets an exclusive torso and skirt print! A huge improvement over the generic unprinted one in the original. She also gets the queen hair in dark brown and Aragorn's lined cape instead of two combined regular capes. This set truly is the Return of the Queen! The snowman is technically not a minifig, but as you can see here, he is exactly as tall as one and he is the first thing you build after the minifigs, so I included him here. He has mostly the same design as before, except this time he has robot claws for arms instead of levers. Which is good since they allow him to hold accessories such as his broom. His carrot nose is included separately again. The carolers both have back printing while the snowman looks no different from the back than he does from the front. Here you can see the black side of the female's cape. This lined cape is so much nicer than the solution they used in the original. Next up we have what I assume is a married couple who are likely the parents of at least one of the kids, as well as the toymaker who I will call Geppetto. The man in the pinstripe suit was not included in the first version of the set, so he's a bonus minifig! These guys are fairly generic, but they have some detailed torso prints, so they look pretty nice. Geppetto seems to have gotten younger since the release of the original set since his gray hair has now turned dark tan and he doesn't seem to need glasses anymore. The men both have back printing, but the woman is the only one in this set who doesn't get a back print. Why you gotta be so discriminating against women, LEGO?! Last but not least, there are the kids. One of the boys wears dark blue pants, a green jacket, and a wool cap. He looks a bit like a lumberjack, so let's call him lumberjack boy, or Jack for short. The little girl wears an outfit that wouldn't look out of place in the Friends theme with a lavender scarf and pants. I'll call her Lavender. The second boy is wearing an Octan jacket and a sports helmet which makes it ironic that he is the one not doing any winter sports on the box art. I'll call him President Business Junior, or PBJ for short. All of the kids have fairly detailed back printing which makes up for the fact that much like the adults, they are made out of mostly common parts. PBJ's helmet and scarf cover up the back of his head nicely which is important as you will see in the next picture. What's also great about these figs is that half of them have a double-sided head. Here you can see PBJ doing his best Macaulay Culkin impression. I also removed his scarf so you can see the printing on his torso better. But he's not the only one who seems to be easily scared. The mother also has a very alarmed expression. Maybe she got surprised by the Jack-in-the-box or maybe she just realized how expensive toys are nowadays. You can see the female caroler's back printing here. Her alternate expression is a non-singing face which is very nice to have and I wish the male caroler could have one too. She looks quite cute with those rosy cheeks. But the most adorable out of all of them has to be the little girl. She comes with a pouting sad face that will melt your heart. Please, don't cry! I'll buy you any toy you want, just stop looking at me like that! The Build The first half of the build is dedicated to the surroundings of the toy shop. It includes the Christmas tree, the park bench, the snowman, the toys, the carolers, Jack and Lavender. The large bag contains two smaller bags with small pieces, a white box that contains the caroler's cape, and the jester hat in its own little bag. The first thing you build after the minifigs and the snowman is the toys. This version of the set has a lot more toys than the original which is good because I always felt that the first Toy Shop was a bit light on toys. Also, the ones that were in the original have been updated. For example, instead of the two pairs of skis, you now get one pair of skis that use the new ski mold and a snowboard. The Jack-in-the-box is mostly the same, except it now has an orange and blue color scheme instead of the red and blue from the original. This change was probably not necessary, but hey, at least we get a new jester hat out of it. And instead of the brick-built teddy bear you get the new teddy bear mold. I have mixed feelings about this change because I actually kinda liked the brick-built teddy design and using a specialized mold seems to be going against the spirit of Creator sets, but on the other hand I can't deny that the molded teddy looks better than the blocky old one. Meh. The new toys include a tugboat which has some rounded Technic pieces as its hull, a biplane, a rocket, a helicopter, and a truck that cleverly uses roller skates for its wheels. These are all quite brilliant designs that feel like micro versions of Lego City sets and make a great addition to the set. Here is a back view of some of the more complex models. As you can see, the Friends accessory stand has been cleverly used to hold the biplane's fin in place and to provide a stand for the helicopter. The Jack-in-the-box has a hinged lid. The only thing that bugs me a bit is the T-piece on top of the helicopter that holds the rotor in place, but I can't think of any better way they could have done it. Next is the ladder that is used to decorate the tree which is exactly the same as the first version. The supports are on a click-hinge, so they can be adjusted or folded away. Then, you build the tree itself. You begins, of course, with the stand which is mostly the same design as before, but this time the plates at the bottom are brown instead of white and have golden studs as feet. Next, you build the first layer of branches. The main difference in this version of the tree is that this one actually has a brown stem rather than just a Technic axle on which you stack the layers of branches one by one. You wont be able to see the stem in the final result, but I like this change as it makes the tree more realistic. Then you add the second layer of branches. This one doesn't have lights/candles and attaches to the lower layer at an angle using the four trans-yellow studs close to the stem. The third layer is added. This one has lights again. Each layer is similar in that they are all made out of green plates that are built around a 4x4 ring plate, but they get smaller each time and are constructed differently enough for the build not to feel repetitive. With the addition of the fourth layer, we get close to finishing the tree. Lastly, you add one more layer and the tip of the tree. Now it's time to decorate the tree! However, it's not as fun as it sounds since that requires you to add lights to the two chains/ropes first which can get a bit repetitive. The clips holding the lights to the chain were white, but this time they're pearl gold which looks much nicer in my opinion. The next part of the build is the park bench with the streetlamp and the little tree. This is a fairly quick build with not much to it. The fishbowl helmet parts are a useful piece that you don't see too often, so it's nice to get them again in this remake. The design is pretty much the same as in the original set except for the wreaths on the streetlamp which use a green life preserver instead of a round 2x2 plate. This is another instance where they use a specialized piece instead of a brick-built solution, but I'm okay with that because unlike with the teddy bear, this part was not originally intended to be a wreath, so it's still nice part usage. The second half of the build is dedicated to the toy shop itself and includes the couple, Geppetto, and PBJ. Please note that there is a fourth 6x10 plate burried under the parts. You begin by tiling the floor, setting up the walls, and adding the interior items such as the fireplace, the cash register, and the toy displays. Next, you add the walls, windows, and the door and the ground floor of the shop is finished. So far, the build is the same as the old toy shop, except this time they decided to have the white stripes on the marquees be the longer ones instead of the dark red ones for some reason. I don't know why they did this and kinda would have preverred to get dark red 1x1 plates instead of white, but it doesn't detract from the look of the shop, so I don't really care. Now we begin with the upper floor. This is where things start to look a little different. Can you tell the difference? The difference is that this time they attach the roof using clip-hinges instead of bulky Technic constructions which gives you more space on this floor and allows it to look more like an actual attic. They even tile the floor next to the frog clock. Aftter adding the roof, the build is finished. The main roof feels a bit loose since it's only attached to the building by one side. I'm not sure if this was an issue in the old toy shop, but it's not a big deal. I just wouldn't pick the set up by the roof. What I do like is that they used double cheese slopes on the awning on the outer wall of the tower instead of singles which makes it a bit easier to build. I like how the supports under the tower roof now match those of the main roof. The wreaths have also been updated like the ones on the streetlamp. And those Technic arches under the roof look a lot more like garlands now. On the original, they were dark gray, so I didn't even know they were supposed to be garlands and assumed they were part of the architecture. The shop sign looks a lot better now that it is printed. The old one just looked like a white flag. I also like how the small plates under the marquee give it a wavy look and they included two trees in different sizes on the right side of the shop. The back is nice and open and allows you to see the rest of the toys, the robot, train, and race car, all of which have just as much of a simple and clever design as the other toys. The clock looks much nicer with the new golden frog. Because golden frogs make everything better. Spare Parts There are quite a few small parts left over, including a roller skate and one of those Friends accessory stands which will come in handy. The Complete Set Here you can see the full set together. It looks quite nice and festive with all the little details and there are many scenes that you can play out with it: You can have the minifigs decorate the tree, have the kids play in the snow, have the carolers sing by the bench, have the toymaker build some toys in his workshop, or have the parents buy presents for their kids. It's a festive, toy-filled Winter Wonderland! The fireplace looks cozy and I like the brick pattern going up the chimney. The entrance of the shop looks a bit empty aside from the cash register. I feel like they could have displayed some more toys here, but oh well. Being a set targeted at teens and adults, there aren't really any play features aside from the light brick which is attached to a hinge, so you can either activate it by pressing the button with your finger or tilting the brick upward so that the button is pressed against the roof. However, since the roof is not connected in the middle and only attached on the sides, it tends to split open a bit when you do that, so I'm not sure if attaching the roof this way here was such a good idea. Nevertheless, it looks quite nice when the light is lit. Ratings Design: 5/5 - This set is as gorgeous as it was back in 2009! The small updates that they made are mostly good ones, although the absence of a brick-built teddy is a bit disappointing and the new way the roof is attached, while not as bulky as before, makes the roof slightly unstable, but those are just nitpicks. Build: 5/5 - There are some interesting building techniques here, such as those on the tree, the roof, and the toys. The fact that the parts are only split into two groups and the part callouts can get fairly complex makes it a challenging, enjoyable build. Minifigs: 5/5 - They did a great job updating the figs in this set. While only 3 of the torsos in the original had any printing, all of the torsos have printing front and back in this set, even the skirt and cape of the female caroler. You get two exclusive heads and half of the heads are double-sided, plus you get 8 instead of 7 minifigs. You really can't ask for more in a Creator set. Playability: 4/5 - This set is more meant to be displayed than to be played with, but there are plenty of things to play with if you want. All the different minifigs, accessories, and set pieces make for endless possibilities for play. It's especially fun to swoosh the micro vehicles around. Parts: 3/5 - There are lots of good parts here. Most of them are fairly common, but there are some rare parts and some even in exclusive colors. Price: 4/5 - This set costs $20 more than the original, but considering that this set has nearly 900 pieces, including some rare and exclusive ones, as well as more minifigs with much better printing, I think $80 is still a fair price. Overall: 5/5 - So what's my opinion of this set? For a remake, I think it's great. They managed to make a good set even better. Are the changes minor? Yes. Are they an improvement? Mostly, yes. Were they necessary? Perhaps not, but it's good that they made them instead of just re-releasing the exact same set. So if you didn't get the first Winter Toy Shop, I can highly recommend getting this one. If you do already have the old version, this one might still be worth picking up for the hugely improved minifigs and rare parts alone. As for the controversy over re-releasing the Winter Toy Shop, I can see where the haters are coming from, but I find their complaints to be quite petty. I can understand if you're disappointed because you already have the first Winter Toy Shop and were looking forward to a new set this year, but there's always next year. If you're a completist and feel like TLG is forcing you to buy a set you don't need, you're wrong. Nobody is forcing you to buy anything but yourself. If you decide to buy every set in a theme no matter what it is, that's your problem, not LEGO's. So put down your torches and pitchforks and just be glad that they improved the set design and gave us another chance to buy this classic set. There are far worse things that can happen in this world than Lego re-releasing one of their most popular sets. Sorry for that little rant. So what is your opinion on re-releases like this? Please cast your vote in the poll above. I hope you enjoyed this special Eurobricks Reviewers Academy review and would like to thank The Lego Group for the opportunity to review this set. Happy Holidays everyone! Bat-Toys by Okay Yaramanoglu, on Flickr

A Nativity for my WInter Village. I added a second photo below. I put the Baby Jesus in a simple manger. Which do you like best? Nativity by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr Nativity by MyPlasticBricks, on Flickr I have been wanting to add a Nativity to my Winter Village Square. I finally made one this year. C&C Welcome Andy D

Hi guys, This year I made a Holiday Express train under the Christmas tree. I think it would be nice if Lego made a new Holiday train set (like the 10173-1) to go with the winter buildings and bring back 9 volt for that matter. This is the first time I enter this contest, I hope you like it. Happy Holidays! Train approaching: The engine is operated by elfs: The passenger wagon with some passengers driving home for ''Christmas'': Some detail on the passenger wagon: A little freight car with trees, nothing too special: The Holiday Caboose: And lastly, some detail on the holiday caboose: Thank you for looking! Best regards, Rick

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! While other airports may be hectic and troublesome this time of year, there are never long lines at Village Air. Travelers come from far and wide to take a short ride with pilot Charles Brickbergh, the legendary aviator who completed the first trans-Atlantic flight. Since retirement, he has made a humble home in Winter Village, and built a small prop plane that the locals affectionately refer to as "Rudolph." As our eager travelers (a small family of four) anxiously await the return of the pilot, they enjoy the hospitality and fine food of the Airport Café; and Charles' trusty mechanic Biff works on the plane. ~ I noticed, as I was going through the last five years of Winter Village contest entries, that while there have been lots of cottages, and train stations, and shops, no one had ever built a Village Airport. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. While my entry stretches to 48-studs wide it is mostly open space due to the plane hangar (and the piece count comes in around 1500) so I think it is still in the approximate size of previous Winter Village sets. There are a few more pictures on my flickr account (unfortunately, I was taking pictures as we were heading out of town for the long Holiday so I didn't get time to set them up the way I wanted) - https://www.flickr.c...th/23424630643/. Any constructive criticism would be more than welcome - first time I've built anything like this. Thanks!

Hi everyone! It is with great pleasure that I post my first ever entry to a 'Expand the Winter Village' contest. This moc, Coffee to Go, got kickstarted by wanting to use the mid hull section of the Armada Flagship as a roof part. Everything else sort of flowed from there. On to the entry: Coffee to go What's better on a cold, cold day then some hot, hot coffee? You needn't worry any longer about taking off all those layers of clothing in order to sip some caffeine like in any other ordinary café on any given corner. This establishment servers coffee over the counter, right in your cold hands whilst you are standing on the very street which oozes the cold that is freezing your toes of. Now that is progress! People are lining up allready! On the left side you can see the owner (and father of the family that runs this fine operation) who realises he forgot his mittens. From the rear you can clearly see the different parts of the building. Downstairs is the preparation area from which cups are provided to the counter area and which can pass on dirty cups via the service elevator upstairs where dishes are being taken care of by mom (who drew the short stick today). Momentarily the son of the household is putting some icing on a cake. Coffee is freshly made by the daughter of the household, service with a smile! Winter Village Coffee to go get it here Another satisfied customer! More pics can be found here: hobbythom, on Flickr

Have you ever thought that the Winter Village range is a bit too, well, unrealistic? A bit too 'cutesy'? Showing the 'picture postcard' side of a town... ... but without showing all the things that actually make a town work? The things that make the town function? Have you ever thought that the range doesn't show the things... ...that make it sanitary? Well worry no longer! For I can now proudly present, for your consideration: The Winter Village Sewage Works The Winter Village Sewage Works features realistic rotating action, with the centre section moving around to help break down the raw sewage. In fact, you could say that it is almost literally stirring the s***. Wait, what's Santa doing there? He doesn't seem to realise what it is, or the danger he's in! He mustn't be able to smell it through his thick white beard. You shouldn't get that close to it Santa! Oh no! He's fallen in! Luckily he's left the sack of presents at the side, but who will deliver them if he can't get out?! He's going under! Oh no! Poor Santa! I guess that highlights the dangers of getting too close, and why you don't see people swimming in their local Sewage Works. Thank you for viewing my contribution! Full size photos are available on my Flickr album.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Santa Claus is bringing gift for our little friend .. With him.. his faithful friend Rudolph that pulls the sled of .. to bring joy to all the children of the world .. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 1 by Giorgos E, on Flickr Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 4 by Giorgos E, on Flickr Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Giorgos E, on Flickr Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 2 by Giorgos E, on Flickr Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 5 by Giorgos E, on Flickr More pictures you can find here to my flickr album

The dreamy Winter Village Confectionery shop! Explore the selection wonderful sugar-laden treats, there's something to tickle every sweet tooth till the day they fall out! Put aside your fear of diabetes and indulge! fun for all! enjoy!

Here's my entry into the Expand the Winter Village contest. I chose to build a sporting goods store selling everything from winter apparel, to snowboards and skis. The shop has a light brick that lights up the showcase window, and the car features opening doors and trunk. I tried to keep it very similar in size, and complexity to an official Winter Village set. Brick's Sporting Goods is a very popular store year round, but especially in the winter. Come inside and buy a new snowboard, visit the hot chocolate and cookie vendor's stall outside, and then enjoy a day of fun in the snow. See more pictures here: link Thanks for looking

What does every village need? Clearly a place to gamble away all of your hard-earned money. Presenting the Capstan Casino, created exclusively for the 6th Annual EB Expand the Winter Village Contest. Of course, no casino is complete without a rooftop hot tub and fake palm trees. There's a couple extra pictures on my photostream, feel free to check them out. (Clicking any of the pictures will take you there) Thanks for looking and thanks for hosting this awesome contest staff! With luck I'll take home one of the three AWESOME prizes.

My first time entering the Expand the Winter Village contest. Here is my entry with a Cider Mill. Turning of the water wheel churns applies inside, where apple cider is being made. The interior consists of a front sales room, rear cider press, storage and dispensing, and upstairs office. The building is slighly taller than the Winter Village Cottage, but I think justifiable as such a building would be larger than a cottage. I have no part count, but it is not outside of scope of the larger Winter Village sets. The truck is a reuse from the 2013 Holiday set 40083. Happy Holidays to you all! Miro Cider Mill by Miro Dudas, on Flickr Cider Mill by Miro Dudas, on Flickr Cider Mill by Miro Dudas, on Flickr Cider Mill by Miro Dudas, on Flickr Cider Mill by Miro Dudas, on Flickr

For the last three years, I have constructed a yearly Christmas village that has made use of Lego's Winter Village sets. This year I added the new Toy Shop but decided to go back in time and create a Western Christmas Village. Thank you for any comments and advice. Have a Merry Christmas everyone. SAM_6739 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6643 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6667 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6691 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6660 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6728 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6717 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6684 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr SAM_6686 by Micah Van Gorp, on Flickr For additional photos see: https://flic.kr/s/aHsknqwDbP