Laura’s Weekend Picks: Sports, Music, Science, Theater, a Belgian Bar

From Laura Herman. Follow her on Twitter @Lmhhabs.

March Madness Final Four! Opening Day! Cricket World Cup! Like it or not, sporting events are everywhere you turn this weekend. So do it right, and head to your favorite local sports bar to catch a game. My pick is Touchdown at 1334 U Street NW, a relative newcomer that’s already made a splash through their unique take on the classic sports bar concept, complete with local art and international flair. You can read my review of their soft opening party here.

In and around your March Madness schedule (if you  still care), it’s worth it to wake up early on Saturday morning to head over to Touchdown for their Cricket World Cup viewing party as Sri Lanka and India face off in the final. Touchdown’s doors open at 6 am on Saturday in time for the game, and they’ll be offering a special breakfast menu until midnight. Alcoholic beverage service begins at 8 am and don’t worry, you are definitely allowed to disco nap after this one.

Speaking of disco, head back to the U Street Corridor on Saturday night to catch No Scrubs, a 90’s Dance Party with DJs Will Eastman and Brian Billion at the 9:30 Club and/or Moon Bounce/Dancing Affair at Black Cat (which is really fun, even though there isn’t actually a moon bounce included — a common misconception).

This week I stumbled — kind of literally — into a new-ish Belgian bar in Dupont that’s totally my new go-to place. St. Arnold‘s is a little bit off the beaten path on Jefferson Place between 18th and 19th Streets, but once you head inside and smell the frites, it’s like you’ve been transported into a café in Belgium. My eyes glazed over looking at the extensive beer menu so I’m looking forward to going back and also checking out their Sunday brunch menu. Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 pm Monday through Friday and looks really promising too, featuring discounted American and Belgian beers, discounted appetizers and half-off mussels.

Also big this weekend: Forward Festival, a five-day electronic music festival that spans eight different venues throughout the city, including the local U Street Music Hall. Full festival passes are sold out but tickets are still available for most shows this weekend. In particular, I’m really looking forward to High Contrast at U Street Music Hall this Sunday. Doors open at 9 pm and tickets are $10. Check out the rest of the full festival line up here.

If electronic music isn’t your thing, close out the weekend with some live theater. Theater J’s newest play, Photograph 51, which tells the story of Rosalind Franklin, a female scientist who pioneered the study of DNA molecules, opened this week. The show runs through April 24 and Theater J offers a Sunday night $35 ticket special. Find out more and purchase tickets here.

What are you doing this weekend, Borderstan? Cherry Blossom-ing? Hiding inside, wondering where Spring went? Let me know what I missed at Laura(AT)borderstan.com or @Lmhhabs. Happy weekend-ing!