BY KAREN BOSSICK
It took a century for Ketchum’s collection of iconic buildings to take shape.
Mary Jones built Ketchum in Gingerbread over several weeks. And she’ll unveil it to the public today.
“What she’s done is a tour de force,” said Lisa Horton, a Hailey jewelry designer. “I can’t comprehend the skills it takes to create these buildings. This woman’s dream would be to glue lentils on Rose Bowl floats.”
The public can get a sneak peek at Jones’ gingerbread village from 2 to 6 p.m. today at 240 N. Main St. between The Casino and KB’s. The exhibition will reopen to the public from 3 to 7 p.m. Dec. 12 through 18.
Hours will be extended from noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 19 through the beginning of the New Year, provided Jones gets enough volunteers to staff the exhibition.
Admission is free but donations are welcome.
Jones—the proprietor of The Chocolate Moose--has long been the sugar plum fairy of Sun Valley, feeding sweet tooths with her rich Better Than Sex Cake, gingerbread advent calendars, elaborate chocolate Easter eggs and other concoctions.
She’ll have cookies in the shape of Sun Valley’s iconic barn and ore wagons for sale at the gingerbread exhibit.
The gingerbread village includes the Ketchum-Sun Valley Visitor Center, the Ore Wagon Museum, The Cornerstone Bar and Grill, The Sawtooth Club, Irving’s Red Hots and the Big Wood Bakery Cafe.
Jones haseschewed nails for 200 pounds of powdered sugar, 25 pounds of egg whites, gobs of butter and giant bags of flour.
She wails, while others rejoice, when snow comes as gingerbread is detrimentally affected by damp weather. In fact, damp weather has warped a few roofs. But, Jones takes it nonchalantly, pointing out that they are old buildings, after all.
“I’m trying to find a de-humidifier, which is difficult around here, because people here complain about the dry air, not the wet air,” she said.
Jones had hoped to construct 50 buildings. But, even though she started the project in mid-October, she had to close down her confectionary construction firm after completing about 30 buildings in order to begin baking pumpkin, pecan and apple pies and to concoct truffles and other holiday orders for her clients.
Jones has long built custom-designed edible gingerbread houses, churches and skyscrapers for a long list of clients that include Hollywood celebrities. She built the Sun Valley village, including the Austrian-style patisserie with its clock tower and the Sun Valley Lodge, out of gingerbread two years ago as part of the resort’s inaugural Winter Wonderland festivities.
“People said then that we should do Ketchum,” she said. “It’s been in the back of my mind ever since. I built a few buildings, including Irving’s Red Hots, Veltex and The Elephant’s Perch, for a holiday market last year.”
Trish Wilson, whose husband David Wilson has headed the National Association of Home Builders and has been Idaho Home Builder of the Year, not only encouraged Jones to build Ketchum in gingerbread but assisted Jones with fund-raising and other organizational matters.
In return, Jones crafted a Wilson Construction Bus to complete the gingerbread scene.
Wilson estimates the project will cost $15,000, including building materials, insurance, lighting and other utility costs and advertising. Kerry Werry Armstrong donated the space. A few donors have given large checks; others have given $10 and $20 bills.
“Mary’s attention to detail is amazing. She’s an absolute artist,” said Wilson. “There are a couple hotels in Portland with gingerbread displays that bring 100,000 people to downtown Portland every year. If we could get people to come to Ketchum, eat lunch and buy a few gifts while here, that would do so much for the community.”
Jones estimates she put about 500 hours into Ketchum in Gingerbread. Some buildings, like the Visitor Center, took four days to create by the time she had added such detail as the logs.
“Hopefully, we can figure out a way to do it every year as a draw to bring people to the valley during the holidays,” she said. “Maybe next year we could even involve Hailey and Bellevue and Sun Valley.”
Horton just hopes people will take a few minutes to come out and see this year’s creation.
“There’s not enough magic left for Christmas,” she said. “This is definitely something people should come see. It’ll put a smile on the faces of adults. And children will be transported.”
Want to help?
Volunteers are needed to babysit the gingerbread village during open hours. To help, email marysaturn@aol.com.
Phoitos: Mary Jones’ gingerbread rendition of the Sun Valley/Ketchum Visitor Center features plenty of detail right down to the big picture windows and logs that make up the building.
Mary Jones’ work site behind Ketchum’s video store gets a little messy with all the Royal Icing concocted to match the actual colors on Ketchum buildings.
Two-by-fours in gingerbread and other construction materials lie ready to be assembled.
The Ore Wagon Museum is among the buildings Mary Jones has recreated in gingerbread.