** SOLD OUT***World Festival 2010*Back to Upcoming Events

True to his selfless spirit, Common Threads founder Art Smith will share his 50th birthday celebration with Common Threads’ World Festival 2010 on Monday, March 1, at Soldier Field.

For the past four years, Common Threads’ World Festival has brought together world-renowned chefs and food-lovers to sample delicacies prepared by culinary masters and to participate in exciting auctions. This multicultural grazing event has always been the bread and butter for the organization and has featured the talents of celebrity chefs, who have mingled and served tasty specialties to sold-out crowds of more than 600 guests.

This year, participating chefs include: Jimmy Bannos, Jr., The Purple Pig; Jimmy Bannos, Sr., Heaven on Seven; Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill/Topolobampo; Michelle Bernstein, Michy's; Greg Biggers, Fulton's On The River; Graham Elliot Bowles, Graham Elliot; David Burke & Rick Gresh, David Burke’s Primehouse; Domenica Catelli, Catelli's; Maneet Chauhan, Vermilion; Christophe David & Frederic Moreau, NoMI; Radhika Desai, Top Chef Season 5; Curtis Duffy Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago; Patrick Fahy, Blackbird; Ben Ford, Ford’s Filling Station; Gale Gand, TRU; Troy Graves, Eve; Koren Grieveson, Avec; Sarah Grueneberg, Cafe Spiaggia; Carla Hall, Top Chef Season 5; Jason Hammel & Lea Tshilds, Lula Café; Roger Herring, Socca; Kevin Hickey, Four Seasons; Ingrid Hoffmann, Food Network & Galavision/Univision; Brian Huston, The Publican; Suzanne Imaz & Martial Noguier, Sofitel Chicago; Stephanie Izard, Girl & The Goat; Gavin Kaysen, Café Boulud; Bill Kim, Belly Shack & Urban Belly; Peter Klein, Seedlings Farm; Josh Kulp & Christine Cikowski, Sunday Dinner Chicago; Jaime Laurita, Celebrity Food & Mood Guru; Allie & Rob Levitt, Mado; Sarah Levy, Sarah’s Pastries & Candies Inc.; Anita Lo, Annisa Restaurant; Barbara Lynch, Menton & No. 9 Park; Steve McDonagh & Dan Smith, Hearty; Jason McLeod, Balsan at The Elysian Hotel; Mark Mendez, Carnivale; Matthias Merges & Della Gossett, Charlie Trotter's; Carrie Nahabedian, NAHA; Chris Nugent, Les Nomades; Chris Pandel, The Bristol; Ryan Poli, Perennial; Tony Priolo, Piccolo Sogno; Bill Reynolds, Sikia; Toni Roberts, Nicole Pedersen & Marcus Samuelsson, C-House; Mario Santiago, May Street Café; Patrick Sheerin, The Signature Room at the 95th; Jackie Shen, Red Light; Kristine Subido, Wave Restaurant ; Giuseppe Tentori, BOKA; Melissa Trimmer; Nightwood; Ming Tsai, Blue Ginger; Rey Villalobos, TABLE fifty-two; Paul Virant, Vie; Carol Wallack, Sola; Daven Wardynski, 676 Restaurant; Carol Watson, Milk & Honey Café; Shelley Young, The Chopping Block; Andrew Zimmerman, Sepia; Randy Zweiban, Province.

The VIP treatment includes access to Art's Birthday Lounge, a pre-event cocktail reception (5-6 p.m.) and an invitation to the exclusive Chef After-Party at The James Hotel (9-11 p.m.)!