On April 30, Irmo will again host its International Festival in the Irmo Community Park from 11 to 6 pm. There will be featured food items, entertainment on the outdoor stage and a Storytellers tent. Vendors will have items for sale as well as a bounce house for the children, art exhibits and community art activities. A parade will be held at 2 pm.
Centuries before Irmo was incorporated as a town on Christmas Eve of 1890 and before we had Lake Murray, Harbison Blvd., and Saluda Shoals Park, people were living busy lives in the Irmo area. The first was Native tribes who were here for thousands of years after their ancestors came to this continent from Asia and reached the rivers and the Atlantic Ocean in SC.
Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer, arrived in the Irmo area in April-May of 1540. He was looking for gold and silver but finding none, moved onto Florida. European colonists, mostly from Germany and Switzerland, began settling here in the 1730s. Before the Revolutionary War, European settlers from other countries were also beginning to move to the area. And people from Africa were brought here during these colonial years.
As Irmo grew with the rapid development of suburban neighborhoods in the 1960s and 1970s, families moved in from many other parts of the world. Some came as students attending colleges and Universities and decided to stay. Others came when skilled labor was needed and professional job opportunities were available. Many established their own successful businesses. Irmo became a most desirable place to live with the promise of good schools, safe and friendly neighborhoods, increased retail shopping, many recreational activities, medical facilities, and easy access to interstate travel. We now have people living in Irmo who come from all continents, except probably Antarctica. As Irmo has welcomed International families, businesses, places of worship, restaurants and lifestyles, the community has prospered economically and has remained a peaceful, enjoyable, family-oriented community. It’s often ranked as one of the safest and most economical places to live in South Carolina.
The Irmo Community Park is located off of Lake Murray Blvd. at 7507 Eastview Drive. For more information call 803-781-7050.
