VIPS attend President Obama's 50th BBQ Bash in the Rose Garden

by Spencer Michael · August 5, 2011

    President Obama celebrated Wednesday night in Chicago with huge fundraisers, but celebrated the actual evening of his birthday Thursday night with a patio party for about 200 in the White House Rose Garden.

    There are basically no photos from the 5-hour "fabulous but casual" private party except this photo of their chef setting up the scene, via the Obama Foodorama blog.

    Politico did a succinct run down of the VIPs that attended:

    Jay-Z, Hill Harper, Chris Rock, Charles Barkley, Steve Harvey, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Grant Hill, Al Sharpton, Patrick Gaspard, UBS Investment Bank President Robert Wolf, FCC Chair Julius Genachowski, Leader Nancy and Paul Pelosi, Secretary Tim Geithner, Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Rep./DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former Virginia Gov. and DNC Chair Tim Kaine, Anita Dunn and Bob Bauer, Robert Gibbs, David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Valerie Jarrett, Michael Strautmanis, Pete Rouse, Bill Daley, Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco, Denis McDonough, John Brennan, Rahm Emanuel, Tina Tchen, White House chef Sam Kass, Julianna Smoot, Marty Nesbitt, Eric Whitaker, Linda Douglass, and many more.

    According to Obama Foodorama, Stevie Wonder sang a song and Whoopi Goldberg was also there. His family also attended, including not only Michelle and their two daughters Malia and Sasha, but Michelle's mother Marian Robinson. Marian Robinson lives in the White House with the first family. There were also children of guests at the event, so it sounds like Malia and Sasha had some new friends to dance with.

    Although Gayle King was there, it does not sound like Oprah Winfrey was there with her.