If I mention Casa Loma to any of my European relatives I always get a snide comment in reply.
"It's not REAL a castle," they say. "It isn't old enough."
"It's not a REAL castle," they mock. "It isn't in Europe."
"It's not a REAL castle," they insist. "It was never home to a prince, a knight or a duke."
I could not disagree more. As we headed south on Spadina and the castle came into view my 8-year-old daughter's face was one of complete disbelief and awe. To my 8-year-old princess Casa Loma was and always will be be a castle through and through. She marveled at the well kept gardens, the bubbling fountain, the old furniture, the turrets and the grand ballroom. Her eyes sparkled with every turn we took and doorway we walked though. It's a magical experience seeing Casa Loma through the eyes of an eight-year-old.
On this day we were visiting so Isabella could take part in a cake decorating course with Le Dolci foodie studio. Since the age of 6 she has been absolutely obsessed with cake decorating. Isabella spends much of her waking day watching copious amounts of Buddy and Co. creating cakes on Cake Boss or online tutorials on how to decorate cakes. When I heard Casa Loma was offering this class as one of their ongoing events I knew it would be an absolute dream of hers.
We spent the afternoon learning about different cake decorating techniques before making our own delightful cupcakes to take home and show off to her siblings. She learned how to pipe delicate flowers, and realistic looking grass, and whimsical fondant bumble-bees. She left with a proud collection of cupcakes to show off to her siblings. She may have even shared some with them.
Casa Loma has a slew of events throughout the year including themed parties such as a Great Gatsby dinner or a Swing Band dance night. Ghost Tours and visits by dressed up knights are intertwined with classes such as archery, vegetable pickling, and cookie decorating. If you're looking for a brand new reason to visit Casa Loma check out their event website for some fun date ideas or family adventures at Toronto's REAL castle.
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