Don't have to work on Veterans' Day? There's plenty in the city to keep you busy, while remembering what the holiday is all about in the first place.

Boston will host its annual Veterans' Day ceremony tomorrow morning at 11, the perfect way to support and show appreciation for those who have served this country. The event, held at the state house's Memorial Hall, is free and open to the public.

The Second Annual Veteran Training Freedom Trail Walk will also take place tomorrow between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. All those wishing to walk the trail with Veteran Training are welcome at any point during those hours, and are asked to donate a minimum of $35, the amount it costs to send a care package to a single soldier or disabled veteran.

Veterans and active duty military will also eat free of charge at Applebees restaurants nationwide (click here to find your nearest location), and whether you're a veteran or not, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is free for the day.

Photo by Eric Wilbur

Remarkably, Thanksgiving is a little more than two weeks away, which still leaves plenty of time to plan dinner at home for the day. However, if you plan on dining out, you might want to start the process of making reservations.

A number of Boston restaurants (including the Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square) are offering special Thanksgiving Day menus and specials for the holiday, featuring a grand assortment of turkey, pasta, seafood, and desserts. Many menus are prix-fixe and offer a tremendous value for those looking to leave the holiday cooking to someone else.

Click here to see some of the options, menus, and how to make a reservation.

Photo by Eric Wilbur

I was walking through a local department store the other day, when U2's "Christmas (Baby) Please Come Home" started to jangle through the loudspeakers. I thought to myself how much I used to love this song, particularly because I would normally hear it only a few weeks each year, leading up to Christmas.

No longer. The song now plays numbing agent, much like the rest of corporate America's insistence to force Christmas down our throats the first week of November in order to secure profit margins. No Christmas until after Thanksgiving, please.

However, there are exceptions to the rule, including this weekend's annual Boston Christmas Festival at the Seaport World Trade Center. For 23 years now shoppers have been able to browse products and designs from hundreds of craft artists, with items including designer fashions, artisan jewelry, and handcrafted holiday décor. The event also features specialty foods and a gingerbread house competition.

The show continues today and tomorrow. Cost of admission is $12 (kids are free). For a $2 discount coupon, visit the Christmas Festival's web site. This year's festival is expected to draw more than 30,000 people.

Beer and barbeque for a cause? Yes, please.

Harpoon Brewery and the New England Barbeque Society team up to present the "Harpoon Helps pre-Thanksgiving Beer-B-Q," Nov. 15 at the Northern Ave. brewery. This barbeque-style Thanksgiving meal (featuring jalapeño poppers, brined turkey, and smoked pumpkin) will help raise funds for the Greater Boston Food Bank's annual food fund, which supplies Thanksgiving meals for families in and around Boston.

The $60 admission can help provide more than 124 families in need with a Thanksgiving meal. According to Harpoon, the Greater Boston Food Bank provided 38,000 turkeys, last year to families with its food fund.

Tickets are limited to only 200 seats, and can be purchased online.

Image courtesy Harpoon Brewery