Thursday 9
NAVY MEMORIAL JAZZ CONCERT, the Navy Band's Commodores, noon, Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Free. 202-433-2525.
ORGAN RECITAL, Marvin Mills, 12:15-12:45 p.m., National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW. Free. 202-232-0323.
SEEDS NATURE TALK, for ages 4 and older, a park ranger discusses how new plants grow in the forest when seeds travel, 4 p.m., Rock Creek Park Nature Center, 5200 Glover Rd. NW. Free. 202-895-6070.
ZOO PARTY, "Lollapa-MOO-za," sponsored by Friends of the National Zoo Young Professionals, performances by rock bands Rude Buddha and Another Brother, snacks, European beer samples, tours and more, 6-9 p.m., National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. $15; reservations recommended. 202-673-4637.
JAZZ CONCERT, Swingin' Swamis, 6 p.m., Kennedy Center, Grand Foyer, 2700 F St. NW. Free. 202-467-4600.
BIODIVERSITY TALK, Russell Greenberg, director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, discusses the National Zoo's research on ants, coral reefs, black-footed ferrets and more, 7:30 p.m., National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Free; reservations recommended. 202-673-4925.
Friday 10
PHOTOGRAPHY TALK, education specialist Deborah Gaston discusses Sam Taylor-Wood's "Soliloquy IV" (1998), 12:30 p.m., Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Free. 202-357-2700.
VIETNAM ART RECEPTION, for "Vietnam in Profile," photographs by Peter Steinhauer and Nguyen Hoai Linh, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday; exhibit continues, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, through Oct. 21, Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Rd. NW. Free; reservations and photo ID required. 202-944-6091.
RAQUEL WELCH FILM, "Myra Breckinridge" (1970), about a film critic who undergoes a sex change operation, 7 p.m., Library of Congress, Madison Building, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE. Free; reservations recommended. 202-707-5677.
ANCIENT JAPANESE MUSIC, Toshihiro Kido, former director of the National Theatre of Japan, discusses the history of ancient Japanese court music and performs new music written for ancient instruments, 7 p.m., Freer Gallery of Art, Meyer Auditorium, 12th Street and Jefferson Drive SW. Free. 202-633-1000.
MARS EXPLORATION, discussed by James B. Garvin, a NASA scientist, sponsored by the Philosophical Society of Washington, 8:15 p.m., Cosmos Club, John Wesley Powell Auditorium, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. Free. 703-370-5282.
BALLROOM DANCING, music by the Lasalle Dance Orchestra, 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, through Sept. 18, Kennedy Center, River Terrace, 2700 F St. NW. Free; tickets required. 202-467-4600.
Saturday 11
9/11 MEMORIAL TREE PLANTING, to honor those who died in the Pentagon attack on Sept. 11, 2001, 9:30 a.m., Leckie Elementary School, 4201 Martin Luther King Ave. SW. Free; reservations required. 202-667-1798.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY DISCUSSION, for ages 7 and older, a park ranger discusses the Georgetown lawyer who wrote the lyrics for "The Star-Spangled Banner," 10 a.m., C&O Canal Georgetown Visitor Center, 1057 Thomas Jefferson St. NW. Free. 202-653-5190.
