Festive sets never get old, and LEGO has a good track record for creating designs that make us smile. The new LEGO holiday 2022 set looks promising with some classic ideas and features. We have the promise of a snowy Main Street with shops and a streetcar, all with great characters and decorative features.
In this LEGO Holiday Main Steet review, we'll look at just how successful this is at capturing the spirit of the season and keeping builders engaged. First impressions suggest this one is a little smaller than average but does that just mean quality over quantity?
This LEGO Winter Village Lets You Build Two Pretty Storefronts For Christmas Shopping
Let's start with the main build. This section of Main Street is home to two very popular stores. The first is the toy store, which has some lovely old-fashioned toys in the window and enough room inside for the owner to run the cash register. Next door, you will find the music store, which has an array of instruments to choose from. Each store has its own side out front and has been decorated with festive garlands.
From there, you get to build small apartment scenes on the upper levels, this is where the store owners can relax after a hard day's work and watch the activity of the street below.
The Shops Are Disjointed Facades More Than Full Buildings In A Street
You get those great decorative elements to the exterior and enough set dressing to set the two stores apart. But, you don't get the same depth you would get in a full building. This is where this set feels a little underwhelming compared to something like the more complex Santa's Workshop buildings or the modular sets with an all-in-one street scene.
There are fewer bricks in this LEGO holiday 2022 set, with just 1514, which makes it less of a challenge than other 18+ models. Even so, there are four books worth of instructions included in the box.
Also, for something called "Main Street", this isn't much of a street. The disjointed feel of the completed set emphasizes this. You are free to locate the storefronts, the streetcar, and other decorative elements in whatever configuration you want. But, they don't look like they necessarily belong together.
The Star Of The Show Is The Streetcar
Moving away from any possible negative features, surely the best thing about this set is the street car. This fully 3D model captures the nostalgia that comes from these old trolleys. The shape and styling are perfect, and the vehicle adds a new dimension to the story. There is open access on the side for the passengers to hop on and off. You also get the destination sign on the front, the wreath, and an advertisement for the music store on the side.
From there, you also get the fun of putting together a little trolley stop on the street. This decorative detail helps tie the different elements together a little better. It consists of some railings, a lampost with a clock face, a sign for Main Street, and a mailbox. There is also plenty of snow.
A Vibrant Christmas Scene Also Needs Plenty Of People
One of the great things about this set is that you 6 minifigures that can tell a greater story with the elements created. This helps bring those separate pieces together with a little more cohesion, and the details in their outfits add to the wintery feel. Perhaps the most important of them all are the store owners and streetcar driver. The store owners are ready to restock those toys and instruments and help the two shoppers discover the ideal gift.
The accessories of the shopping bags are a nice touch because of the way they fit into the characters' hands. This allows for small detailed stories in each establishment, as well as the bigger theme of the location. These shoppers can then travel to and from the stores on the streetcar. With four passenger seats on board, there is more than enough room for everyone.
The final minifigure is a young child there to mail a letter to Santa in that big red mailbox. The letter is one of the extra features of the set. It is up to you whether they also live in one of the apartments with a store owner or are there with the shoppers.
Of course, the beauty of a LEGO set like this is that you can also bring in figures from other related sets, and set this up with other festive buildings. It might not work so well right next to Santa's workshop, but other homes and stores could work well.
Add Some Festive Cheer To This LEGO Winter Village With Some Lights
Our LEGO Holiday Main Street light kit is the perfect companion to this set, as you can make use of the Powered Up components and illuminate the scene. This is a great way to not only add a little atmosphere to the village scene, perhaps with some late-night shopping and caroling, but to make the set a focal point of a display for the holidays.
On top of that, you can also use the Powered Up elements via the streetcar. If you have some track at hand, perhaps from a LEGO trainset in your collection, you can motorize this gorgeous vehicle for more authenticity and interactive fun.
The Final Verdict Of This Holiday Main Street LEGO Review
While there are going to be some avid builders that feel there isn't enough complexity or cohesion in this set, it is still a lot of fun. We recommend enhancing the set with the Powered Up elements to make the light on the streetcar stop shine and bring more life to the scene.
Still, there is already plenty to love with the detail in the storefronts, the nostalgia of the trolley, and the stories you can create with the different minifigures. This could easily enhance a bigger Christmas village set-up.
