5 best things to do on Friday at Life is Beautiful
The festival gates open at 2 p.m. today for 2017’s Life is Beautiful festival.
The lineup boasts a myriad of musical performances, art installations, speakers and restaurant pop-ups and food trucks.
You probably won’t have time to see and do it all, so make sure you get to the highlights.
Who to watch
Chance the Rapper (aka Chancellor Bennett) takes the stage Friday night. Bennett’s highly acclaimed “Coloring Book” earned him a Grammy for best rap album this year. See him perform popular songs like “Same Drugs” at 11:25 p.m. at the Downtown stage.
Across the festival, Blink-182 plays at 11:15 p.m. Relive your high school days and sing along to late ’90s hits like “What’s My Age Again” and “All the Small Things” at the Ambassador stage.
Where to eat
It would be practically treasonous for a Las Vegan to visit LIB without hitting up the Fukuburger food truck. The tamago burger is a patty topped with fried egg, crispy onion strings and furikake, finished with teriyaki and wasabi mayo. Find it at the Ambassador Culinary Village.
California favorite Liam’s Lemonade will serve up its signature roasted corn. For a spicy take on traditional Mexican street corn, try the Flaming Elote. For more a more Insta-worthy cob, get the Uni-Corn.
What to look at
Sante Fe’s art collaboration Meow Wold is taking over this year’s Art Motel.
Installations range from a green-painted slime room to a hut where visitors can move their hands through a laser beam, triggering a musical note from a laser harp. And two “Pillow Monsters,” equipped with pulleys, enable visitors to stage their own soft-pillow battle. Find it on 7th Street.
What to drink
Drink local with the “Off the Wagon” cocktail. It gets its kick from Nevada Distilling Co.’s Smoke Wagon bourbon. The whiskey is tempered with Bols elderflower liqueur and fresh strawberry-mint lemonade.
Who to listen to
Bill Nye the Science Guy is one of the first to take the stage today. At Life is Beautiful’s first year, he gave a presentation inside the auditorium. This year, catch his science presentation at 3 p.m. on the Fremont stage.
Vegas – I'm speaking at @lifeisbeautiful again this weekend and all I want to do is meet @chancetherapper. pic.twitter.com/buxQDV8Hpg
— Bill Nye (@BillNye) September 21, 2017
Contact Janna Karel at jkarel@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jannainprogress on Twitter.