Kids Enjoy Creative, Sweet Summer Fun At New Hope Cupcake Camp

NEW HOPE, PA — At Sweet Occasions in Peddler’s Village, novice bakers are learning to craft some delightful treats and have fun in the process. This year, Cupcake Camp is running June, July, and August sessions, for kids eight and up.

“It’s really just a fun baking camp, where they’re getting their hands in buttercream and fondant,” said Joanne Jarin, who owns local bakery The Lucky Cupcake Company. Jarin said she’s been running the camp for about 10 years, since shortly after she started her business.

While camp started small, she said now they consistently max out at 15 kids per session. Those eight and older attend the camp for three-day sessions, while kids 12 and older can attend for five days. Several campers have even returned multiple years in a row.

While skill-building is one focus of a typical week at camp, the bakery’s private lessons are better geared toward that — Jarin’s top priority here is encouraging students’ creativity.

“The kids just seem to really enjoy something different,” she said. Jarin and the occasional teenage bakery staffer are happy to provide.

Cupcake Camp was even able to run last summer — with masks on, distanced stations, and more one-on-one work. In a normal year, teamwork and group projects are often a feature of the kids’ experience.

Weeks of camp are usually themed: this year’s June session featured Summer Sweets, and the July session will introduce a bit of friendly competition with its Baking Olympics theme. The kids will make sports-themed cakes, gold medal cookies, and cupcake torches.

“Then we’re going to [have] a cupcake war Olympics of our own,” Jarin laughed. While she doesn’t normally encourage competition between the campers, this seemed like a fun opportunity to twin with the real-life Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

While camp fills up quickly, a three-day session offered this August is still enrolling. Campers will learn to make cupcakes, cakes, cake pops, and cookies — and the older kids even make a two-tiered layer cake. Students pick flavors, come up with their designs, and use tools and supplies provided by the bakery and event space. They even get a tour of the bakery, and get to spend some time outside in Peddler’s Village.

“Over the years, it’s really blossomed,” Jarin said.

Space is still available in the three-day camp Aug. 2 - Aug. 4, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Enrollment is $295.

To learn more about The Lucky Cupcake Company and the Sweet Occasions event space, head to the links or contact sweetoccasions@theluckycupcakecompany.com.

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