Tucked into the wilderness of southern Johnson County is a gem that is often overlooked.
Nature lovers can hike trails through prairies and forests filled with wildlife. Fishermen can cast a line in the smattering of lakes and ponds filled with bass, bluegill and more. People can play frisbee golf, go camping and see world-class horse competitions.
All of it can be found at Johnson County Park.
“A lot of people, especially our campers, come here because it seems far away, but it’s not,” said Christy Howe, recreation director for the park. “It’s a very quiet area. The tranquility of it is very relaxing for them.”
Park officials want to show off all they have to offer with a new family-friendly event on July 29. RecFest — a celebration of parks and recreation departments — will feature live entertainment, a classic car cruise-in, 5K fun run and walk, and bounce houses and inflatables for kids. A beer garden is planned for the 21-and-over crowd.
“We really want to showcase the park itself. On the southern end of the county, there aren’t really any other parks down here. We have 622 acres, with a campground, an amphitheater, disc golf,” said Kevin Leonard, superintendent of the park. “This is a way to get people down not just for the festival, but to see what we have.”
RecFest was born out of a desire to celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, which is recognized in July. The aim of the month-long recognition is to spotlight the role parks and recreation plays in our communities.
Johnson County Parks staff was hoping to create a new event to celebrate it, Leonard said.
“We wanted to provide a wide range of activities for the community to be involved with,” he said.
Using a $2,500 grant from county tourism organization Festival Country Indiana, the department was able to create the new festival. They planned a mix of festival favorites that seem to appeal to all people, as well as reviving some past events that had fallen off the schedule, Leonard said.
Foremost is the 5K fun run and walk, which kicks off the event and will take participants in a loop around the park.
Organizers are also excited to bring a vendor market back to the park, Leonard said. For years, the park had hosted the Heartnut Festival in September, bringing in craft booths and vendors to sell unique artisan goods.
The festival isn’t held anymore, but park organizers thought having vendors in the park again was a good idea.
“By mixing some of the older events and bringing them back into one event, it hopefully gives it a fresh spin,” Howe said. “We want to draw new visitors to the park throughout the year and help the event grow.”
Eighteen vendors have signed up to sell at the festival, offering everything from plants to ceramics to woodwork.
As the vendor market gets going at RecFest, some of the area’s coolest classic cars, trucks, motorcycles and more are set to coast into the park for a cruise-in. People can wander through the souped-up, restored classics and talk shop with the owners, posing for photos and admiring their work.
Park organizers also hope the cruise-in builds some momentum for the planned car show in August.
“That’s always been pretty popular and successful, so we thought this would be a nice lead in for that event as well,” Leonard said.
Throughout the day, festival attendees can fuel up with a wide variety of food, as nine different businesses will offer barbecue, ice cream, lemon shake-ups and more. A beer garden is planned to serve Taxman Brewing beers.
Entertainment is set to be provided by Klarc Whitson, a central Indiana musician who specializes in pop, rock and fun party songs. His opening set will be followed by a show from Living Proof, a high-energy party band that is one of the most popular in the Indianapolis area.
The band has opened for such acts as Morris Day & The Time, Earth Wind & Fire, KC & The Sunshine Band and Chicago. Their repertoire covers Prince, Shania Twain, Hall & Oates and all kinds of music in between.
“It’s going to be a fun event, with different activities the whole family can enjoy. We hope people just come out and celebrate parks and rec month with us,” Leonard said.
IF YOU GO
RecFest
What: A family celebration showcasing the Johnson County Park, in recognition of National Parks and Recreation Month
When: 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday
Where: Johnson County Park, 3097 E. 32nd St., Nineveh
Schedule
2 p.m.: 5K Fun Run/Walk; food, beer and wine vendors open
3 p.m.: Vendor market
4 p.m.: Cruise-in
5 p.m.: Bounce house opens
5:30 p.m.: Music by Klarc Whitson
7 p.m.: Music by Living Proof
Information: jocoparks.com/recfest
