I enjoyed Life is Beautiful last year, but not enough to attend the festival this year. Empire of the Sun was my favorite act last year and the 2014 music line up just has nothing to offer.
My husband and I attended a few hours of each of the two days with our 15 month old daughter, and we were impressed with the effort made to present fun and interactive children's activities. She was amused by the vegetable puppet show. I also spent a lot of time (and money) exploring the Culinary Village, where options ranged from bland (Mac and cheese balls from Park on Fremont) to fantastic (black truffle pappardelle from Artisanal Foods.) This was my daughter's first taste of truffle pasta and she loved it! Other memorable food items include flourless chocolate cookies by Payard and a high dose of frozen caffeine in the form of coffee ice cream from Black Bean Coffee Ice Cream.
Even though I'm not attending this weekend's festivities, I look forward to reading other's reports--about the food, at least. And as a "pro" would tip, seek out Due Forni at the festival and cool down with a cup of Art of Flavors gelato. Most importantly, do not pay for a parking pass at the World Market Center if that's an option this year. We felt ripped off when we realized that there was some street parking available downtown at no charge.