Jim Thorpe held its fourth annual Laurel Festival of the Arts, opening with a two-week run of classical music concerts and art exhibits.

Synonymously, the town stated its tribute to the state flower, the Mountain Laurel, with its yearly Lauren Blossom Festival.The festival included about 50 craft booths and food vendors near the train station and park, featuring everything from Irish lace tablecloths to potato pancakes to face painting.Nearby, the Eighth Annual Mountain Bike Weekend brought more than a thousand cyclists to ride along the Switchback Railroad and through the Lehigh Gorge.