People living in Johnson County already know what a unique place it is.
A sense of community is bolstered by festivals, concerts and unique events that bring people together. One-of-a-kind restaurants offer fine dining, and a robust craft beer and winery scene attract both locals and out-of-towners.
Now, the features that make this community special will be broadcast to a national and international audience.
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Starting today, correspondents and film crews from the syndicated TV show “The Jet Set” will be in town to tape footage for an upcoming show. The visitors will be attending Smoke on the Square in Franklin and Adult Night at Freedom Springs in Greenwood.
They’ll take part in sushi-making classes, goat yoga and go-karting, while checking out beloved local institutions such as Revery, Mallow Run Winery and the Willard.
“We’ve always had a lot of great things to do here in Johnson County, but we’ve been lacking that one entity that could tell the story,” said Kenneth Kosky, director of tourism for Festival Country Indiana, the county’s tourism branch. “That’s my role, and this is a great opportunity to share our communities with people from other states and other countries who may not have heard about us.”
“The Jet Set” is a travel talk show, which showcases topics and locations that appeal to a wide range of voyagers. The show is hosted by Noya, Gailen David and Bobby Laurie, who approach everything from weekend getaways to family-friendly resorts to hottest trends in hotels and vacation accommodations.
“We cover everything to do with travel, which makes travel fun and accessible to everyone,” Noya said.
Producers of “The Jet Set” had put out a call asking for information about interesting destinations to feature in the show. Kosky contacted them, explaining what Johnson County has to offer and inviting them to visit.
“I told them about the great festival lineup we have, and attractions such as Freedom Springs and the Artcraft. They thought it would be a great place to visit,” Kosky said.
They settled on an action-packed weekend for the county, which will feature community-wide festivals, farmers markets, special events and opportunities to experience the area’s best eateries and winery.
“We do international things, but we also just like to highlight fun things to do in America. We thought this looked like so much fun,” Noya said.
“We are always looking for fun things to do, especially for families in the summer. Johnson County came across our desk, and we all thought it looked really fun,” Noya said. “I have never really been to this area of America, so I thought I’d come over to Franklin and see what’s going on.”
Throughout the weekend, people will have the chance to interact with the crew of “The Jet Set” during public activities such as Smoke on the Square and the Franklin Farmers Market.
Noya will be out among the crowds, talking to people and asking what their favorite aspects of living here. She’ll be taking part in activities such as goat yoga at Tagalong Farms Boutique and Gifts and making sushi at Yokohama Japanese Cuisine in Greenwood.
Her hope is talk to chefs at Revery and the Willard to get a sense of the flavors of Johnson County.
“Our itinerary is packed, so it’s really just going from thing to thing and highlighting the best of it, giving our viewers a taste of what to expect from a weekend in Johnson County,” she said. “It’s really getting the best of everything.”
With the footage they gain from this weekend, producers at “The Jet Set” will put together a show focusing on Johnson County. At this point, there is no air date for the show, though it is tentatively scheduled for late August or September, executive producer April Carter said.
When it does air, the showcase will provide an opportunity not only for locals to see their community highlighted, but to let people from all over understand what Johnson County has to offer, Kosky said.
“When people realize that we have great attractions like aquatic centers, a winery and many other things, and once they realize our proximity to Indianapolis, it will only attract more visitors and with these visitors maybe come permanent residents,” he said.
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What: A syndicated travel talk show that focuses on unique destinations, attractions, festivals and adventures to spotlight the fun of travel.
What are they doing: Nikki Noya, one of the hosts of the show, will be in Johnson County today through Monday to interact with the public and film footage for an upcoming episode. She will attend Smoke on the Square, Freedom Springs Aquatic Center, Mallow Run Winery and other activities around the county.
Where can you see it: In the Indianapolis area, the show airs at
5 p.m. Thursdays, AMG
3 p.m. Saturdays, AMG
4 p.m. Saturdays, DISH Network
3 p.m. Sundays, AMG
Episodes of the show can also be found online at thejetset.tv
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