Okra Strut ‘Home’ to Cost $1 Million

IRMO, S.C. (WOLO) — After years of friction and contention over the future of the Irmo’s Annual Okra Strut, town leaders could purchase a new home for the festival for a $1 million price tag. Two sites, a 4.75 -acre parcel of land on East View Drive and a 14-acre lot on Lake Murray Boulevard, are being considered as the site of a new park to be built in Irmo. The park would also double as a permanent home for the annual Irmo Okra Strut, which is entering its 41st year. Organizers have had to rent space over the last four years to hold the event that beings in 50,000 – 70,000 people annually. However, Mayor Hardy King opposes continuing the festival because he says it loses money each year. Mayor Pro Tem, Barry Walker, say the festival is a staple of the community and should remain. Council will decide at Tuesday night’s meeting which parcel of land to purchase and what leaders plan to do with it. This year’s festival is scheduled for September 28-29.