Seven Years of Community-Focused Giving Vegas Unstripped announced $15,500 in donations to two local charities following its seventh annual event on April 26, 2026, at the Palms Casino Resort pool deck. St. Jude's Ranch for Children received $12,500 for its therapeutic residential treatment programs serving abused and neglected children across Nevada, while The Mat Project received $3,000 to support its upcycling initiative creating bed mats for people experiencing homelessness in Las Vegas tunnels. Since its inception in 2018, Vegas Unstripped has donated more than $85,000 to local charities. The festival drew more than 1,000 attendees and featured over three dozen of the Las Vegas Valley's top chefs and bartenders, each presenting original dishes and cocktails created exclusively for the event.

Festival Format and Community Focus The event was founded by Chef James Trees of Esther's Kitchen and Eric Gladstone of The Feast of Friends as a not-for-profit venture to spotlight independent culinary talent in Las Vegas. Heather Vincent joined as Event Producer in 2024. Each participating chef and bartender debuted exclusive creations unavailable elsewhere. This year's entertainment included M.C. Jason Harris, DJ Nightweapons, and local indie rockers Soft Echo. "Vegas Unstripped is truly a community event," said Gladstone. "And after all is said and done, we are honored and humbled not only to be able to celebrate Las Vegas' best talent but also to pay something forward to local charities that are underserved."

Why It Matters

Vegas Unstripped demonstrates a sustainable model for chef-led charitable fundraising while creating a platform for independent restaurants to gain visibility outside the Strip. As the event approaches its tenth anniversary, it continues to reinforce Las Vegas's off-Strip culinary identity while directing resources to organizations addressing homelessness and child welfare—sectors often overlooked by larger hospitality events.

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Written by FBM Publications Editors