For Elizabeth Dry, the spirit behind Okrapalooza is simple.
“Abundance. It’s abundance of love,” Dry said.
That spirit was on full display Sunday at The Venue at Cope Ranch, where chefs from across Texas came together for Okrapalooza, an okra cook-off benefiting Promise of Peace Gardens.
The event brought food, music and community together while raising money to support school and community gardens and help fight food insecurity in Wood County.
For Heritage East Executive Chef and Owner Lance McWhorter, the event is also a chance to share a personal connection with one of his favorite ingredients.
“Anytime that you’re able to kind of reach out into the community, explain your love for a particular ingredient,” McWhorter said. “I mean, one of my earliest memories is running around the family farm in Athens, Texas, with a pocketknife and cutting baskets full of okra with my grandparents.”
For McWhorter, okra is more than just an ingredient. It is a connection to his childhood and a way to give back to the community.
“To be able to take your favorite thing and put it on a plate for hundreds of people and do a lot of good in the process is a really good time,” McWhorter said.
Chefs at Okrapalooza showed just how versatile the vegetable can be, serving up creative dishes ranging from okra sushi to okra chocolate pudding.
But organizers say the goal of the event extends far beyond the food.
Okrapalooza is designed to bring people together, encourage communities to grow their own food and help make sure families have access to the food they need.
“We have to start thinking local, really local — who’s doing good things around us and then support those people,” Dry said.
Promise of Peace Gardens said proceeds from every ticket sold at the event will go toward helping feed families in need.