Okra Strut Commission Searches for Festival's Home

The Irmo Okra Strut Commission is searching for this year's location for the nationally known two-day festival.

During the commission's regular meeting Monday night, chairman Kirk Luther said there were some possible locations but there was nothing concrete enough for the commission to have a full discussion.

"We've got a couple of things we've been told that are possibly available," Luther said.

Luther told Patch he was hoping to have a location determined as soon as possible in order to have several months of planning instead of being rushed like the past year.

“We really didn’t get a go ahead until June,” Luther said. “Then we had to take the path with the least resistance and that happened to cost us $20,000.”

Last year’s festival was held in the Irmo Village Shopping Center, which had been home to the festival for years. There were delays because of

A permanent site has been up for debate for some time.

"If a permanent site could be found for the Okra Strut, then all you have to do is put the bodies in there," Luther said. "That’s been the goal for the last 10 years."

Locations on Columbiana Drive, the Irmo Town Park and land near Irmo Elementary School were some of the sites tossed around but none of those spaces have been formerly proposed.

The commission's next meeting is Feb. 27 at 6:15 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 7300 Woodrow Street.