Kelly Gerstenberg, Cake Star Parties

Are you looking for a fun, new fresh idea for a themed party? Look no further than Cake Star Parties in Northern Virginia. They will come to your house, instruct, help participants decorate, and get this…even CLEAN UP! There is even a cute apron and treat in a bakery box for participants to take home. Um, yes please! I love this idea, and I was happy to interview the founder of Cake Star Parties, Kelly Gerstenberg.

1) How did you get the idea to start “Cake Star” parties?

A friend from the “caking world” started a similar decorating party company in North Carolina, and I thought it was a great idea. Once I started researching more, I realized that it’s not an entirely unique concept, as there are some bakeries doing baking parties or decorating parties around the country, but the idea hadn’t seem to have hit DC Metro area.

As a former FCPS teacher and meeting planner, instruction, presentation, and logistics are some of my strongest skills. It seems only natural that I combine them with my cake decorating hobby.

2) What can customers expect at a typical “Cake Star” party?

There isn’t really a “typical” party because the decorating abilities and interests vary so greatly between ages. A party with younger children would involve a lot of sprinkles and candies for decorating. But a group of middle schoolers, for example, can use piping bags and to implement different decorating techniques to create more interesting designs, such as buttercream ruffles and flowers.

3) Are the parties just for kids?

Not at all. Any group of any age can have a party. Bridal and baby showers, for example, are great events for a cake decorating party. I’ve even seen Groom’s cakes (from other party companies) made at a Bridesmaids’ Luncheon that were served at the wedding. Such a fun way for the ladies to bond and a conversation piece at the wedding!

4) What are your plans for “Cake Star” parties in the future?

I would absolutely love to sublet space or to partner with another business so that I could offer customers a location to hold their parties.

5) Please share with our readers some of your favorite family-friendly places to visit in Northern VA.

My all-time favorite place to take my children is the River Farm Garden Park at the American Horticultural Society in Alexandria. My boys also L-O-V-E to ride the Metro so on days that are too rainy or cold, we sometimes take the Metro from Franconia-Springfield to Reagan National Airport. I pack our lunch and we eat in front of one of the big windows that overlooks the runway. They get the excitement of the train, planes, escalators, and elevators.