Okra Dokra, Let’s Strut!
Irmo has spent more than half a century proving that okra can carry an entire weekend. The 51st Annual Lexington Health Irmo Okra Strut returns September 25 and 26 with music, a parade, a new 5K and plenty to eat.
The Lexington Health Irmo Okra Strut settles into Moore Park at 7473 Church Street for two days, beginning Friday evening and running through Saturday afternoon. And while okra gets naming rights, the weekend has grown into something considerably bigger than a vegetable appreciation society.
Friday Night Finds Its Groove
Opening ceremonies begin Friday at 6 p.m. at the Prisma Health Amphitheater before the festival entertainment takes over.
At 7 p.m., The Big Time Band brings its nine-piece party-band sound to the stage. Then at 9, Monsters of Yacht takes over with the smooth ’70s and early ’80s hits that have made yacht rock an entire personality type. Both Friday concerts are free, and the music continues until 11 p.m.
Saturday asks festivalgoers to get moving considerably earlier.
The inaugural Irmo Okra Strut 5K steps off at 7:30 a.m. from Irmo Village Shopping Center. The flat run/walk finishes in time for participants to catch one of the festival’s oldest traditions.
At 9 a.m., the Okra Strut Parade begins near CrossRoads Intermediate School and heads along St. Andrews Road toward Lake Murray Boulevard, ending near Irmo Elementary School. St. Andrews Road closes to traffic at 8:45 a.m., so arriving early is the smart move.
Save Room for Saturday
Back at Moore Park, the 2026 festival schedule continues with food and beverage vendors, artisan and exhibitor booths and kids’ amusements throughout the day.
The weekend gets one last musical jolt at 4 p.m. when Elizabeth as Taylor brings her Taylor Swift tribute experience to the amphitheater for a free hourlong show.
The festival bears the name of Lexington Health, but after 51 years, the Okra Strut belongs firmly in Irmo’s community calendar. Come for the parade, stay for the music, and perhaps give the namesake vegetable its moment, too.
For more South Carolina celebrations capable of filling a weekend, see what’s ahead in the Guide To directory at https://guidetosouthcarolina.com/festivals.