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Irmo, South Carolina!
Want to be part of the Irmo Okra Strut?
Applications and info here


 The Okra Strut was created in 1973 as a fundraiser for the Lake Murray-Irmo Woman’s Club in order to build a new library.  Local radio personality, Gene McKay, had the idea of naming the fundraiser the “Okra Strut” when he, jokingly, described the “ancient Irmese” as “a farming tribe who lived off okra.”  In October of that year, the Woman’s Club had a modest arts & crafts sale inside Seven Oaks Park. 

 Today, this 30 year-old festival has grown to an attendance of 60-100,000 festival-goers from surrounding communities and states.  This year, festival planners are excited about moving to a new location, the Irmo Village Shopping Center in downtown Irmo.  This improved location will provide new opportunities as we expect to have our largest attendance ever.

 At noon on Friday, the festivities kick off with the Okra Strut Charity Golf Tournament, sponsored by the St. Andrews Kiwanis Club.  This four-person Captain’s Choice tournament will be held at Coldstream Golf Club.  The Friday Night Street Dance is always a huge hit & draws music lovers from all over the area.  If you love beach music, you’ll enjoy The Fantastic Shakers and The Men of Distinction, who will play from 6-11 pm.  Midway through the night, the Okra Eating Contest will begin where law enforcement officers compete for this most prestigious title!

 Saturday events begin early with the “Dam Run to Irmo,” beginning at 7:30 am, and sponsored by the Rotary Club of St. Andrews.  This 10k run crosses over the Lake Murray dam.  At 8:00 am, area cyclists will compete in the 7th Annual Carolina Cyclers Fall Century Ride for all ages and all skill levels.

 At 9:30 am, the Okra Strut parade, with around 100 units, will proceed down St. Andrews Road from Irmo High School to Lake Murray Blvd.  The festival site will open at 10 AM.  For food lovers, there will be all kinds of food from corndogs, cotton candy & ice cream to cappuccino & local restaurant delicacies.  To get into the spirit, you must try the famous “fried okra” deliciously seasoned by The Lake Murray-Irmo Woman’s Club!  There will be all kinds of entertainment, arts & crafts exhibits, non-profit and business exhibits, amusements & games, dunkin booth, kids’ okra-eating contest, puppet shows, portraits with “Okra Man,” and much, much more.  A trolley system, free-of-charge, will transport festival-goers to and from distant parking lots.  Two trolleys will run a continuous circle on Friday night and all day Saturday.

 If you plan to attend and want to spend the night, there are many hotels in the Irmo area.  For a list of hotels, please contact the Irmo Chamber of Commerce at (803) 749-9355 or visit their website at www.irmochamber.com.          

 After a full day of food and fun, the festival will close at 4:00 pm.  If you have any questions, you can call our office at (803) 781-6122 or visit the festival website at www.theokrastrut.com

   

Want to see more of the fun and excitement?  View The 2004 Okra Strut Gallery


For more information, contact:
Town of Irmo
P.O. Box 406
Irmo, SC 29063
Phone:
(803) 781-7050
Fax:
(803) 749-2743


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