The Public Television Series Travels with Darley visited Central Jersey last summer to film three special episodes called “Travels with Darley: Revolutionary Road Trips,” including an episode (Part III) that features historic sites and restaurants in Somerset County.
The public is invited to a sneak preview of the episode featuring Somerset County on Tuesday March 19 at 5 p.m. at Flounder Brewing in Hillsborough, one of several local businesses featured in the show. Program host Darley Newman will participate in person, including in a panel discussion after the screening.
“Somerset’s Board of County Commissioners is incredibly proud of our Revolutionary history, and we believe it will become a major driver of tourism and economic development as we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026,” said Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson.
Following a showing of the 25-minute episode, a barstool panel discussion will feature four women who appear in the Somerset County episode, including:
- Program host Darley Newman
- Somerset County Administrator Colleen Mahr
- Historian Dr. Iris de Rode
- Downtown Somerville Alliance director Natalie Pineiro
The special preview event is being jointly sponsored by the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners and the Somerset County Business Partnership. The venue, Flounder Brewing, is in a restored Revolutionary-era Dutch barn that is featured in the Travels with Darley episode.
The new “Travels with Darley: Revolutionary Road Trip Part III” episode begins in Somerville, where Darley meets historian Iris de Rode at the Wallace House, where George Washington spent a winter during the Revolutionary War. Darley and de Rode then explore History on the Green, an annual event in Somerville consisting of art, music, literature, and reenactments. Darley sets off from the Green to tour downtown with Natalie Pineiro with the Downtown Somerville Alliance. They pop into the family-owned Boulevard Seafood for lunch. Darley reunites with de Rode at a French restaurant, Verve, across the Green to toast history, followed by a visit to Flounder Brewing. The episode also includes visits to Revolutionary sites in nearby Middlesex County.
“Who doesn’t want to toast history with a pint in a pre-Revolutionary barn while learning about great places to travel and soak in the past in New Jersey,” said Darley Newman. “I’m excited to participate in this screening and share some of what happened behind the scenes.”
Attending the preview event at Flounder is free, but advance registration is required due to limited space. To register, sign up on the Somerset County Business Partnership’s website.
The Somerset County episode premieres on television on Wednesday, March 20 at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 7th at 12:30 p.m. You can watch New Jersey PBS locally on Verizon Fios, channel 23 or 523; on Comcast, channel 23 or 800, on Spectrum on channel 23 or 723. Visit www.njpbs.org/anywhere to find more information on watching elsewhere, including apps.
Somerset County is making significant plans to prepare for the 250th anniversary of the nation in 2026, having announced a five-point plan last October, including the purchase of the Battle of Bound Brook battlefield in partnership with Middlesex County.
Learn more about “Travels with Darley” and Season 11 at Darley-Newman.com and search for the new “Travels with Darley” podcast on iHeart, Apple, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Darley for travel tips on social @darleynewman and on Facebook @TravelswithDarley.
