1. Marvel at the Emmy award-winning photographer Joshua Cogan’s music-related images at the free opening reception of his new exhibit, “Joshua Cogan: Soundprints Vol. 1,” Thursday from 7 to 9:30 at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. Cogan’s locally inspired work ranges from drum circles at Meridian Park to area performances by Jay-Z. The Fatback DJs will provide live music.

2. Everyone knows the first luxury to go in a recession is caricature portraits, but you can indulge yourself by heading to Sova's free opening reception for “People: Portraits by Elizabeth Graeber and Laura Shema” Thursday from 7 to 11. Art aficionados can meet the two illustrators under a groovy soundtrack by DJ Chris Klang and Matthew Hemerlein, watch them in action during a live portrait session, and sip microbrews priced at less than $5. If only there were a petting zoo and prizes, this would be the best county fair ever!

3. Linger at Midtown Loft after its daily free beer happy hour from 5 to 6 to catch the Battle of the Bands Thursday starting at 8. The evening features performances by four Washington bands (The D.R. amA. Kings, Rome in a Day, Citizen, and 23RAINYDAYS) who’ll compete for a chance to perform at an upcoming benefit concert at the 9:30 Club. The event is free, and you must be 21 or older to enter.

From 9 to noon and 2 to 5 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, remember the women of the Vietnam War through stories told by Vietnam vets and their children. The event is part of the “In Their Own Words” educational program by the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation. Call 301-314-8505 for more information.

The US Navy Memorial (701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW) has several events lined up to commemorate Veterans Day, beginning with a book signing at noon. David Sears will sign copies of At War With the Wind, a study of Japanese kamikaze fighters during World War II. At 1, a wreath-laying ceremony is scheduled at the memorial followed by a screening of the film Pappy Boyington Field, which details a controversy-ridden campaign by veterans groups to honor a World War II major.

The National Museum of American Jewish Military History (1811 R St., NW; 202-265-6280) is presenting a unique Veterans Day perspective with its presentation entitled “Arthur Szyk: Soldier in Art.” Szyk, who died in 1951, was a World War I veteran and later an active member of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States organization. Irvin Ungar, who curates the Arthur Szyk Society, will speak on Syzk’s art and its powerful political messages. The two-hour presentation begins at 1.

Earlier this year, the National Museum of the American Indian (Fourth St. and Independence Ave., SW) issued a call for four-minute documentaries to be entered in a short-film contest for Veterans Day. On Wednesday, the top three winners of Answering the Call will have their work screened along with other films focusing on the experiences of Native Americans in the military. The screenings, which are free, take place in the Rasmuson Theater at 11:30 and 3:30.

Monday, November 9
Busboys and Poets at 14th and V streets hosts author James W. Loewen as he discusses and signs his new book, Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History. In the follow-up to his book Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, Loewen calls for a new way to teach history by exploring the hidden facts of America’s past. The event begins at 6:30 in the Langston Room.

Tuesday, November 10
The National Museum of Women in the Arts continues its second annual festival with staged readings of plays and poetry. Today’s event, Voices of Liberty: English Women Poets from 1649-1750,” features work by such poets as Aphra Behn and Anne Bradstreet as well as a dance performance by the Artefacts Dance Company. The event runs from 7 to 9.

Wednesday, November 11
Stephen P. Cohen, founder and president of the Institute for Middle East Peace & Development, will discuss and sign his new book, Beyond America’s Grasp: A Century of Failed Diplomacy in the Middle East, at Politics and Prose. The book is the product of more than 40 years of work and study in the region, and it explores the volatile legacy that began with Woodrow Wilson and continues today. The event begins at 7.

Monday: FotoWeek DC
All things photography continue this week with FotoWeek DC. Our pick for tonight? Head to the National Geographic Grosvenor Auditorium for "When Sights and Sounds Converge: Storytelling in the Digital World." Folks from NPR and National Geographic will discuss the evolution of photography, and how the internet has changed the ways in which we tell stories visually. 6:30 PM; free. RSVP to pictureshow@npr.org.

Tuesday: European Films
Can't get enough of all things European? We imagine we'll find you up at AFI over the next few weeks, as their European Union Film Showcase continues through November 24. Tonight, you can check out the Danish film Applaus, which tells the story of an alcoholic actress trying to determine if motherhood is a role that suits her. 7 PM. $10.

1. This week marks your last chance to grab some popcorn and catch the free DC Latin American Film Showcase. On Thursday, E Street Cinema will screen Proyect Grey—a Salvadorian film about a camping trip gone awry—at 6:30 and at 8:30, The Maid, which explores class issues in modern Chile. Tickets are first come, first-served and are distributed one per person 30 minutes prior to the film.

2. Tucked as it is between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Commerce in the federal dictionary, it’s easy to overlook the US Department of Bhangra. Dedicated to bringing a hot monthly Indian dance party to Washington, its employees work at Bossa on Thursday night, keep odd hours (10 PM to 2 AM), and require very little funding (an $8 cover). For more information, visit Bhangra’s official Web site.

3. Winner of the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s 2009 Open Exhibition Opportunity, artist Renee van der Stelt will showcase ten large sculptures and drawings that resemble satellite images of Earth at the gallery on Friday from 6 to 8. This free exhibit is accompanied by an artist’s talk at 7.

The lottery for free tickets to the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony opened bright and early today at 12:01 AM. Applicants have until 11:59 PM on Friday, November 6, to get their names in the hat.

This year, you can fill out an online application or call 877-444-6777 for a chance to secure one of the 2,800 seated tickets or 7,000 standing-room tickets. (Note: Standing-room tickets will have a view of the tree, but not the performance stage.) Applicants may submit only one application but can apply for up to five tickets. Ticket seekers can check the status of their request online or by phone from November 9 through 16. Tickets will be mailed by November 15.

The ceremony, which is scheduled for 5 PM on December 3, kicks off the holiday season in Washington with the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and 56 smaller trees, representing the states, five territories, and DC. It includes live entertainment by well-known performers—this year's lineup has yet to be announced—and the United States Marine Corps Band. The president usually makes an appearance.

If you're not among the lucky ones, you can watch the ceremony here via live Webcast on December 3. And remember, you can see the lit tree without tickets every night through January 1. The lights go off at 11 PM.

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Monday, November 2
The Cabral/Truth Circle hosts “Stories of Hope and Struggle,” a film and panel discussion about the plight of Haitian women, at Busboys and Poets at 14th and V streets, Northwest. The film Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy profiles five Haitian women whose stories shed light on their country’s hardships. York College assistant professor of African American studies and anthropology Mark Schuller, who produced and co-directed the film, will lead a panel discussion. Event starts at 6.

Tuesday, November 3
In Mexican culture, the souls of the dead visit their living friends and family in the beginning of November. National Geographic Live! (1600 M St., NW; 202-857-7700) will screen La Ofrenda: Days of the Dead, a 50-minute film that shows the runs of Mitla, the gateway to the underworld, according to Mexican Indians. Produced by Lourdes Portillo and Susana Muñoz, the 1989 movie also explores the Latino community’s Day of the Dead traditions in California. Noon.