LEGO® Winter Village review: 10308 Holiday Main Street

September has almost gone, summer has definitely passed, and it's almost time to set up the Winter Village display. Since 2009, LEGO® has released new additions to the village annually and today I’ll have a closer look at the 14th instalment of the series: 10308 Holiday Main Street.

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.
LEGO® Winter Village 10308 Holiday Main Street
US$99.99/ £89.99/ 99.99€/ AU$169.99
1514 parts
3 October 2022 for LEGO VIPs, general release on 7 October 
Buying from LEGO.com? Please consider using our affiliate links, we may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop.

The expansion of the Winter Village brings us a toy store, a music store, a Christmas tree, a tram cart and a mailbox with signpost. A look on the back of the box shows us that with the help of PoweredUp elements and some train tracks, the tram cart can be motorized.

Recoloured and rare elements in the 2022 Winter Village set

The set doesn’t bring us any new molds, but there are some interesting recolors and rare elements to be found.

We get 10 elements in a new color:

• 1x Brick 1 x 16 in Medium Nougat (6411590 | 2465). I love this color being used in buildings. 
• 5x Brick Special 1 x 2 with 2 Studs on 1 Side in Medium Nougat (6411587 | 11211) brings even more possibilities in nougat wall-building.
• 4x Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 4 in Dark Green/ Green (6411583 | 28802) is new for the 'Rounded Corners at Bottom, Square Corners at Top' mold variation. The other green version was the 2436, last used in 2005.
• 2 x Plate Round 4 x 4 with 2 x 2 Hole in Dark Green/ Green (6405622 | 11833) was new when I took this photo, but is now introduced in September 2022 in 40573 Christmas Tree.
• 2 x Cupboard 2 x 3 x 2 with Hollow Studs in Sand Blue (6404592 | 92410)
• 2 x Brick Arch 1 x 3 x 2 in Olive Green (6411584 | 88292)
• 1 x Brick Round 2 x 2 Truncated Cone in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6411596 | 98100)
• 1 x Cone 1 x 1 [Top Groove] in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6411591 | 59900)
• 1 x Equipment Magic Wand in Transparent Yellow/ Trans-Yellow (6411593 | 6124)

Naturally, after I’d taken the photo and finished the build, 2 more recolors were noticed:

• 1 x Equipment Teapot in Sand Green (6411592 | 23986) also newly available in 21336 The Office.
• 3 x Brick Special 1 x 4 with 4 Studs on One Side in Olive Green (6411584 | 30414)

There are also a number of elements that haven’t appeared in very many sets before:

• Plate 6 x 16 in Dark Red (4264807 | 3027) has only been seen once before, back in 2005.
• Panel 1 x 6 x 7 with 2 Columns and Arch in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6332620 | 40066) was introduced last year and has appeared in 2 other sets.
•  Door 1 x 4 x 6 with 4 Panes and Stud Handle in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6314882 | 60623) has been seen in 3 sets since 2020.
• Glass for Frame 1 x 6 x 7 with Bow in Transparent/ Trans-Clear (6278080 | 65066) has been in 1 set prior in 2019.
• Wedge Plate 6 x 2 Left in White (6392747 | 78443) and Wedge Plate 6 x 2 Right in White (6392746 | 78444) are both introduced this year and have been seen in 2 other sets.

(Pay no attention to the teapot; I thought it was a rare part but turned out to be a recolor.) 

Top row:

• Musical Instrument Violin in Dark Orange (6327527) was introduced last year in 71029-2 Violin Kid, and made an appearance in 2 VIDIYO sets.
• Plate 1 x 5 in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6372029 | 78329) is a 2022 element.
• Plate Special 1 x 4 with 2 Studs with Groove [New Underside] in Dark Red (6257594 | 41740) was also introduced this year.
• And 3710 Plate 1 x 4 in Olive Green (6186030 | 3710) is likewise from 2022.

Center row:

• Flag 2 x 2 Square, Flared Clip Edge [Thick Clips] in Bright Red/ Red (6365459 | 80326) is rare for this new mold version of the Flag 2 x 2.
• Tile 2 x 2 with Pixelated Honeycomb print in Cool Yellow/ Bright Light Yellow (6335367 | 76969) has only been seen in 21165 The Bee Farm from 2020.
• Plate Special 2 x 2 with Only 2 studs in Dark Orange (6394948 | 33909) is another 2022 element.
• Wedge Plate 2 x 2 Left in Dark Green/ Green (6385276 | 24299) is (you guessed it) from 2022.

Bottom row:

• Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Inverted Cutout in Brick Yellow/ Tan (6383295 | 78666)
• Tile Special 1 x 2 with Sloped Walls AKA Money / Gold Bar [Ingot] in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6331867 | 99563)
• Plate 1 x 1 in Bright Green (6401817 | 3024) was introduced for Unikitty in 2018.
• Plate 1 x 1 x 2/3 with Hole in Stud in Bright Red/ Red (6397571 | 86996)
• Technic Pin 1/2 with Friction in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6395635 | 89678) is from 2022, and a useful neutral recolor, as the Red version can stand out in a Technic build.

The set comes with 6 new figures. I’ll only mention the interesting elements:

• Top left shows Torso Sweater with Pink/Dark Purple Decoration, Magenta Arms, Yellow Hands in Bright Purple/ Dark Pink 6401404 | 76382) which was introduced in July 2022.
• Top Middle has a beanie (6371949 | 52686) only seen in 71032-5 Horse and Groom. Her head (6306822 | 68587) has appeared in 3 sets. Her torso is new for 2022.
• Top Right has a torso (6376848 | 76382) that has been in 2 other sets since 2021.
• The toy store owner on the Bottom Left spots a torso (6400766 | 76382) from 2022 and her Hair Large High Bun in Dark Orange (6357937 | 27186) has appeared in 2 other sets previously.
• Bottom Center is the only minifig with a new element. The torso (6409766) in Dark Blue is new and shows a suit with a watch on a chain, fitting for a tram driver. The Cap, Police Style in Earth Blue/ Dark Blue (6399256 | 3624) was reintroduced this year after last being seen in 2015.
• The music store owner on the Bottom Right shows no interesting elements.

The Build

The set is divided in 4 sections, each with its own building instructions, making this a group build.

We start off with a small scenery showing a child mailing his wish list to Santa, A stop for the tram with 2 travelers with suitcases and a Christmas tree. The tree looks nice, though all 4 sides are identical. Some variations with the decorations could help and if you feel inclined that's easy to achieve.

The tram looks great and there's a nice amount of room inside for the passengers to sit. The roof is loose, making it easier to place the figures, and it utilizes standard train wheels so it's possible for the tram to ride on tracks.

For the tram to move on its own, you can motorize the vehicle with PoweredUp elements and their inclusion is surprisingly easy. One of the wheel sections can be removed to place the motor and that section is designed to come off easily without disturbing the adjacent area. Inside, the hub is placed and the green activation button can be accessed via the removable roof. PoweredUp lights are connected to the front and back of the tram. with the wires hidden very well under the seats and between the hub and roof. The train can then be controlled with the PoweredUp app or a standard PU train remote. I love how this addition can create some movement in your Winter Village, but to be clear, the PoweredUp elements and train tracks are not included in the set. The box however does note how to acquire the necessary parts.

The only downside for me is the green light on the hub. It’s fairly bright and outshines most of the other lights. Currently the PoweredUp app does not contain this specific set, so perhaps a future update might allow for this light to be controlled. 

Now on to the buildings.

The music store includes some nice mini builds such as a drum kit and an old fashioned cash register.

The top floor features a kitchen with new Sand Blue cabinets and a Sand Green kettle. The top cabinet is interestingly hanging on to the tile above it and resting on the protruding tile on the wall below it. The facade of the building looks nice, but we really need to get a Masonry Brick 1 x 1 or Corner for a consistent brick-pattern. The roof is held in place by a simple Technic pin connection.

 

The other building is a toy store. On the ground floor we find a nice little robot, a toy train and what I assume is a rocket or perhaps a building. On the top floor is a bedroom with a Christmas tree and presents. The store owner (or her child) has left a wish list for Santa.

Like the music store, the facade looks great, with some nice seasonal touches to set the mood.

Conclusion

I have to be honest, I’m not really in love with this set. There are things to like, with my favorite part being the tram, but the rest is a bit underwhelming for me. It’s certainly not bad, it just doesn’t excite me either. Compared with its Winter Village predecessors, the buildings feel a bit standard. 10275 Elf Club House and 10267 Gingerbread House feature great sloped roofs that use interesting techniques and 10263 Winter Village Fire Station has a facade that looks more detailed. Aside from the tram, there were no real surprises or wow-moments during the build. As a stand-alone set it could work, but as part of the village it needs some more meat on these building's bones.

In any other set, like a LEGO City or standard LEGO Creator set, I wouldn’t mind so much, but a LEGO Winter Village set needs to be something special, directly bringing me into the holiday season spirit. Although, the lights in the tram do really up the jingle-bells factor.

Editor: Chris Baginski

READ MORE: LEGO® Star Wars™ 75331 The Razor Crest - our analysis of the new parts

Help New Elementary keep publishing articles like this. Become a Patron!

Massive thanks go to our 'Vibrant Coral' patrons: Antonio Serra, Beyond the Brick, Huw Millington, Big B Bricks, Dave Schefcik, David and Breda Fennell, Richard Selby, Gerald Lasser, Baixo LMmodels, Markus Rollbühler, Elspeth De Montes, Chuck Hagenbuch, Megan Lum, Andy Price, Jf, Daniel Church, Amy Hays and Wayne R. Tyler.

LEGO® Shop at Home
USA: FREE SHIPPING every day on orders over $35!
UK: Free delivery when you spend £50 or more at LEGO!
Australia: Discover the latest promotions and offers on LEGO.com

All text and images are © New Elementary unless otherwise attributed.