A six-block city display of residential buildings, fairs, natural landscapes, and iconic mini-figures stands awaiting the visitors of Mackinac Island—all made out of Legos, and coming all the way from Hillsdale.
Active members of the Hillsdale College community, Joe and Lynn Forrester, finished Northern Michigan’s largest Lego display in 18 months.
Parts of the Lego city are built exactly from box instructions, some are modified, and other parts are created from scratch. The large cathedral and the mountain, for example, are two creations that the Forresters generated.
The Lego city is not only entertaining, but also affordable. The display is placed within a museum, and is included with museum admission.
“Many Legolands charge to see a display,” Joe said. “We, however, do not charge hundreds of dollars. We charge less than $10.”
The Forresters attempted to set up their display at the Hillsdale County Fair September of last year, but to no avail. When they ended up on Mackinac Island, they believed that it was meant to be. They believe this was divine direction.
“The Lord gave us this idea,” Joe said. “I mean, we started this as a business in our 70s. Let me tell you, the Lord works in mysterious ways.”
The Forresters’ circumstances and passion for Hillsdale created a special opportunity for students. Starting this summer, some Hillsdale students will work on Mackinac Island.
Right now, the Forresters are recruiting the Hillsdale “princesses” — a group of women who play different Disney princesses to entertain children in the community. The job on Mackinac Island will include much of these same elements. The girls will entertain people waiting in long lines, interact with children, and pose in tourists’ pictures. The Forresters are hoping that setting the princesses up at booths outside of the island as well will even be able to attract more visitors.
Valerie Oresko, leader and founder of the princesses, as well as an “adopted donor child” of the Forresters, has committed to work on Mackinac Island this summer.
“The princesses will serve as a counterpart to the Lego business,” Oresko said. “We will advertise the display, while also advertising the princess business at the same time. We’re building off of each other.”
Oresko hopes to make the princesses more widely known this summer.
“There are no guarantees that this business will be successful, but as Mackinac Island is the seventh most visited island, I still consider this an unbeatable opportunity,” Oresko said. “The nice thing is that the Forresters cater to your skills. If you’re a math major, they’re not going to make you dress up. They’ll give you a chance to foster your specific skill set.”
Freshman Steve Sartore also plans to work for the Foresters donning a full Jedi suit. He connected with the Forresters through one of his friends. As Forrester and Sartore talked, Forrester said he was looking for some guys to play Jedi alongside the princesses. Sartore was surprised that he got the position.
“When I first heard about this opportunity, I thought, ‘There’s no way that I’ll get it,’” Sartore said. “I’m so excited to do this. It’s like getting paid to be a kid and play dress-up.”
The job description he was given was simple: Dress up as a Jedi, take pictures with the kids, and pass out flyers for the Lego display. Sartore, though excited for the opportunity, was also worried that he would not be able to get enough practice time in for the golf team.
“Whether or not the island had a golf course was a huge concern for me,” Sartore said. “When I found out that it does have one, I thought ‘Wow, this is perfect.’”
There are several benefits to working on the island. Not only are the students getting money towards tuition, but they are also staying in a tourist area. Activities such as swimming, touring island facilities, riding horse carriags, and enjoying Mackinac Island fudge will all be available to the students while there— all with employee discounts.
Lynn Forrester eradicated any worries concerning safety.
“That’s part of the reason we have Jedi — to protect the princesses,” Lynn said, jokingly. “We will make sure that they are safe.”
