Five Things You Need to Know Today: Oct. 26

1. Halloween on the Farm. The Newton Community Farm will host its annual Halloween on the Farm event today from 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Enjoy spooky stories in the Haunted barn, apple bobbing and Halloween themed crafts as well as other fun activities.

2. Swap it! The Whole Foods at Four Corners will be hosting a "swap day" today. Bring in your old hair color, nail polish, pump soap, multi vitamins, make-up and more and "swap it" for a Whole Foods Market Whole Body product. The event will last all day, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. 

3. Halloween "groove party." Funk and soul revival band The Chicken Slacks will be playing a Halloween "groove party" tonight at Union Street Restaurant and Bar. Tickets are $15 and the price includes appetizer buffet, prizes for best costumes and more. The show starts at 9 p.m.

4. Author event. Boston College professor and non-fiction writer Carlo Rotella (Playing in Time: Essays, Profiles, and Other True Stories) will speak this evening at Newtonville Books. The event starts at 7 p.m.

5. Have you entered Patch's Halloween contests yet? Do you love to dress up for Halloween? Then you will want to enter the national Patch contest for humans. Each state finalist will receive $250 and one grand prize winner will receive $5,000! How about your pets? Have you put your dachshund in a hot dog outfit? Your maltipoo in a pumpkin sweater? Then enter them in the Massachusetts contest for pets. The winner will receive a $50 gift card. (The pet contest ends this Sunday, Oct. 28!)