Time to be honest here for a minute. I'm almost 33 and this was my first visit to Casa Loma... ever. No school trips, no weddings, special events, Nada! Weird right?
Going during their Christmas event definitely sets the bar unrealistically high because the castle is done up with all the bells and whistles (literally) and there is an ongoing schedule of rotating entertainment going on all day and evening. The perfect winter date or family excursion. Plus ... they have a Santa workshop sponsored by Spin Master toys and it's nothing short amazing!
The castle itself is amazing indoors but as mentioned the majority of the indoor space is reserved for normal exploration, and entertainment.
I think the real bang for you buck is the back gardens. Holy Santa! I can see how elegant and impressive this multi-tiered garden/patio area would be for a wedding, but as a Christmas market/wonderland?!?! Unreal!
They had more food vendor options than the Toronto Christmas market, except with no lines! Score. Actually there was no crowds period it was perfect! I got lamb speducci skewers, hot dogs (meh), and we had an exceptional cranberry focaccia bread grilled cheese with caramelized onions and Brie. Whoa!
Overall I much preferred this as a Christmas tradition over the Toronto Christmas market. Based on quality and availability of food, entertainment, photo ops and of course a great Santa Claus.