Home of the Okra Strut!

We live in Columbia, but the mission office is in Irmo - about 5 minutes away.  When we first got to town, we noticed a big banner hanging over  the street on the way to the office.  It said Okra Strut - September 27&28.  We had an idea that it was something like North Ogden's Cherry Days, or Brigham City's Peach Days Parades.  We were right.  A couple of days ago, when Rose was delivering the mail to the office, she asked us if we were going.  We thought it sounded like fun!

Their parade was very similar to the community parades back home, but the celebration, I think, was bigger.  They had carnival rides, and tons of food vendors.  I heard they had craft vendors too, but we didn't see any of those.  We went in search of funnel cake (because we missed getting one at Peach Days) and some deep fried okra.  They had plenty of deep fried everything, but as far as we could see, they only sold okra in one spot.  When we bought ours, people kept coming up to us and asking "Where'd y'all get that?"

I got Lisa a 40th Anniversary Okra Strut t-shirt.  Hope she likes it.

I've attempted, below, to put pictures on the blog.  I have no clue what I'm doing, but I figure poorly placed pictures are better than no pictures at all.

Our funnel cake!  Notice the big trash
can full of lemonade behind and to the
 left of  Elder Arrington!

Here's Okra Man!  All the children
had to have their pictures taken with
him.  He started to collapse and fold over
on one little kid...and he was outta there!

I think this was my favorite float.  Pretty cute!

We saw several Disney Princesses - and look!
Cinderella's carriage!

Irmo, SC is home of the Okra Strut!
Who knew?

Saw one horse in the whole parade!
We're not in Utah anymore!!!