Temperatures eclipsing 60 degrees on both days helped make for an "unprecedented weekend" at Jim Thorpe's annual WinterFest held downtown Saturday and Sunday.

Organizers said crowds in the thousands surpassed those of recent years as Josiah White Park and shops along Broadway and surrounding streets were packed with tourists and locals getting an early taste of spring."It's been wonderful," said Dee Ford, of the Camp On North Townhouse and the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency. "We sold out of our mugs for the Mug Walk online before the weekend even started."Before WinterFest, 300 mugs were available for guests. Those lucky enough to pre-order the mugs online took them to participating businesses where shop owners handed out goodies."It's a wonderful way to get people out to see the town," said Dawn Kees of Sunbury. "We ordered six ahead of time for our group that was coming into town and had a great time walking around to the shops."Though the event is titled WinterFest, weather was not an issue.Bill Padula of Carmellas Italian Deli and Pastries in Scranton said Mother Nature was looking down on the town."The elements really all came together with the warm temperatures," Padula said. "After winter everyone is really excited to get out and this weekend provided the first good opportunity for that."Despite the milder weekend, one of the festival's top activities, ice sculpting, took center stage.Evan Hughes of Scranton began Sunday by sculpting Olaf, the beloved snowman from the hit movie "Frozen," much to the delight of children in attendance."You have to be a little bit quicker, but if you keep the sculpture out of the direct sunlight, it'll still be here tomorrow," Hughes said.Hughes, who has been sculpting ice for two-and-a-half years, said he started working with wood and clay before moving to ice."Ninety percent of us actually start learning and doing this at culinary school," he said.Other events at WinterFest included woodcarving by Michael Blaine, magic shows at the Mauch Chunk Opera House and train rides on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway."It's a beautiful day for a ride," said John Lawrence of Harrisburg, who was in town for the day with his wife and two sons. "We've done it a few times before, but these were just perfect conditions."Horse and carriage rides were also available throughout the downtown.Ford said event organizers were overwhelmed with the success of the event, something she said bodes well for the town going forward."I think people are really seeing what Jim Thorpe has to offer," she said. "It's full of wonderful things for families and couples. The exposure is really what this is all about."