Tomorrow is Veterans Day, and a special program of events will be held at the National World War I Museum to honor current and former members of our armed forces.

The events begin at 9:15 a.m. at the Liberty Memorial with a parade by Kansas color guard groups and veterans groups. At 9:30, the American Legion Band will perform at the museum’s J.C. Nichols Auditorium. Following the concert will be remarks from Kansas City, Mo., mayor Sly James, Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver and Richard Rubin, an author who collected stories from some of the last surviving members of World War I. Rubin will be sharing some of these stories in a free public program at 2:30 p.m. For a full list of activities, visit theworldwar.org/veteransday.

Several national restaurant chains with area locations are offering free meals for active or retired servicemembers throughout the day. Applebee’s is offering free entrees from a limited menu to veterans with proof of service. Bar Louie, a tasty bar and grill with locations in Zona Rosa and in the Power & Light District, will be offering veterans free lunch or dinner on Sunday and Monday. And the Ameristar Casino near Armour Road and Interstate 435 will include a complimentary meal for veterans throughout the day.

For a novel, adventurous dining experience, check out the restaurant that area foodies are calling the best new restaurant in the city. Novel, in a 19th-century building at 815 W. 17th St. in the Westside neighborhood, showcases the culinary talents of area chef Ryan Brazeal. Brazeal has extensive experience as a sous chef in New York City, and the dishes he’s created for Novel — fried pig head ravioli, seared diver scallops, a poached and fried egg with bacon hushpuppies  — are unlike what you’ll find anywhere else.

Novel’s wine and cocktail list packs a punch as well, with offerings including the Old Sport (Buffalo Trace, dry curacao, bourbon cherry) and the SouthWest Boulevardier (rye, basil, campari, punt e mes). Novel is open Tuesday to Thursday from 5:30 to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 11 p.m. For a full menu and wine list, visit NovelKC.com.

On the stage, the biggest performance this week is an updated version of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” presented by the Kansas City Lyric Opera. This version will be sung in English, with a modern, colorful set and costume design by artist Jun Kaneko. “The Magic Flute” will be performed on Wednesday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Muriel Kauffman Theater. Tickets start at $95 at kcopera.org.

Before Lady Gaga or Katy Perry, there was Pink, a pop singer with positive social messages to go along with her crazy hairstyles. On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Pink’s “The Truth About Love” tour stops in the Sprint Center. Tickets start at $39.50 and are for sale at sprintcenter.com.

In the early days of YouTube, I remember watching some Hawaiian guy do a ridiculously virtuosic version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on the ukulele. Today, that guy, whose name is Jake Shimabukuro,will be bringing his eclectic ukulele repertoire to the Kauffman Center on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $21.

Also on Friday, comedian Kathleen Madigan will perform at the Midland Theatre at 8 p.m. A veteran of just about every late-night talk show and cable comedy special there is, Madigan is a St. Louis native who recently returned from tours entertaining the troops in Afghanistan. Tickets cost $29.50 and are for sale at Midlandkc.com.

From Thursday through Sunday, the annual Holiday Boutique at the Overland Park Convention Center at 6000 College Blvd. Featuring gifts, fashions, jewelry, accessories, gourmet foods and decorations from over 200 businesses and vendors, the Holiday Boutique is a good chance to get a jump on your holiday shopping. Day passes cost $12 for the boutique, which opens each morning at 10 a.m. Visit patrihaproductions.com for more information.