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Nick Nikolov

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candy, Casa Loma (2), Halloween (3), magic, magician, pumpkin, Sleepy Hallow, toronto (16), Trick or Treat

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Halloween is a day historically spent scaring other people, telling spooky stories and carving pumpkins, but many kids would likely say the best part is trick-or-treating for all that delicious candy.

Organizers of the fourth annual Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt at one of Toronto’s prime tourist sites, Casa Loma, attempted to do all of the above in one place.

The all-day clue-finding game was accompanied by pumpkin-carving and seasonally spooky mini-shows to entertain young visitors.

For example, children’s magician Magic Mike, a veteran performer at Casa Loma events, provided a 20-minute performance of conjuring tricks while storytellers retold timeless Halloween classic, Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.

Archery and pumpkin-carving competitions awaited visitors willing to brave the underground tunnels leading to Casa Loma’s stables.

Renee Russell, the mother oversaw her two young boys, both dressed as Iron Man, with two enormous pumpkins. The stables were only on stop, apparently, on the family’s full-package tour of the event.

“We’re going to be spending the whole day doing the storytime, the scavenger hunt and we’re planning on seeing the magic show,” she said.

Elsewhere two grandparents, Tamara and Andre Boaden looked on as their granddaughters, seven-year-old Kinsley and five-year-old Kailey Corran carved away.

The younger daughter, Kailey, quickly lost interest in the whole experience, while her older sister was focused keenly on making shapes of the eyes, nose and mouth.

“I like this pumpkin, she said. “I think it’s a happy face.”

Families who spent this Halloween rushing from house-to-house with their children might consider the one-step event at Casa Loma, which is a magnificent house to visit if they were to pick only one.