The Three Mountains Gallery at 29 Race St. in Jim Thorpe was the scene recently of a celebration of the magic of Jim Thorpe and the enchantment of the mountains.

The event showcased fairy cottages which were entered into the Olde Time Christmas Festival contest, as well as others created by local artists RandallSellers and Stephanie Verme, which were on exhibit along with the works by artist and gallery owner David Price."Long, long ago, before there were roads, before there were trains chugging around the river or even before there were towns by any name here, there were the mountains," said Price."Where there are mountains, there are rocks and trees and streams and fairies magical fairies."According to Price, "Fairies have been associated with the famous ballet Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' and it's been a popular Christmas event for over 100 years."Twelve fairy cottages and other fairy drawings and works of art, some of which were so small and finely drawn that a magnifying glass was required to see the finest details, were the centerpieces of the gallery event.The fairy cottages were constructed of materials found locally, such as materials from the forest, the river, or even from a closet.Price explained that "it was all about your vision of what a fairy cottage is."He added that "The event had received contributions of art from Race Street and upper Broadway businesses and artists."Also on display was a series of pencil sketches which were done by Amanda Hoffman which she did in high school, of fairies in the area.Additionally, there were readings of written works, poems, and stories inspired by the enchantment of the mountains by Price, Colleen Davis, and Diane Prokop."A lot of times visitors to town will see Broadway and never make it up to Race Street," said Prokop, "which really is someplace special."While the fairy cottage display was just for that evening and was not an extended showing, some of the artwork may remain at the gallery for some time.For additional information about Three Mountains Gallery, contact Price at 570-778-7231.