Five Things You Need to Know Today: April 21

1. Author event. James C. O'Connell, author of "The Hub's Metropolis: Greater Boston's Development from Railroad Suburbs to Smart Growth" will host a discussion at Newtonville Books today at 2 p.m. 

2. Free concert. The Newton Free Library will host pianist Juyeon Kang for a free performance this afternoon at 2 p.m. The program, titled "Joyful Dances," will include dances by Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Debussy and others.

3. Looking for a new home? Check out this list of open houses today in Newton. 

4. Russian Cultural Festival. The "From Russia with Arts and Culture" festival will continue today at the Newton Cultural Center from noon - 6 p.m. Today's events will include a fashion show, music, crafts and more.

5. Join the conversation - post on the Newton Patch Local Voices blog. Do you have some local news to share or a discussion to start? Write about it in the Newton Patch Local Voices blog. The blog is open to any Newton residents or business owners who'd like to share with the community.