Eric Adams pled not guilty to his five-count felony indictment during his arraignment at noon this past Friday, Sept. 27, kicking off the first criminal trial of a sitting New York City mayor. The court appearance ran for around 20 minutes. Adams had arrived at the courthouse by 8:45 a.m in response to his summons. He faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison. 

The charges allege seeking and accepting improper gifts and donations from a foreign national, a Turkish official to be specific. Such favors were allegedly cashed in on just months before he took office by pressuring the fire department to facilitate the opening of a 36-story consulate building without an inspection — one the skyscraper would have allegedly failed. 

Dressed in charcoal gray suit and red tie, Adams spoke sparingly in court, mostly to acknowledge his rights to Magistrate Judge Katherine Parker and to plead not guilty. His lawyer Alex Spiro agreed to the prosecutors’ proposed conditional release, which stipulated that he could not contact witnesses. Spiro was aware of “one key witness” who Adams should not contact. The prosecution will provide a list of the others. 

However, exceptions were made for Adams to communicate with family members and City Hall staff as long as they did not discuss the case. He now embarks on an unprecedented balancing act between a criminal trial and governing as New York City mayor. 

Adams will return to court next week on Wednesday, Oct. 2, which will be presided over by District Judge Dale Ho, who once directed the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. 

Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1. 

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As the spooky season quickly approaches, it’s time to figure out where to go pumpkin picking. Among the many awesome options around town is the Cityside Pumpkin Patch at The Summer Club rooftop in Long Island City, where guests have access to over 10,000 gourds sourced from upstate New York and spread across the 25,000 square feet of space. 

The experience will take over the rooftop at 8-08 Queens Plaza South from October 4 through Halloween.

In addition to the pumpkin patch, guests will get to partake in a variety of other activities, from photo ops to archery sessions, face painting, tarot card reading, a smash-o-lantern activation and—of course—food and drink offerings to boot. 

There are different tiers of tickets, some of which come with a complimentary pumpkin (but they’re available for sale “a la carte” as well!). You can check all options out right here. 

Between this massive pumpkin patch and the magical new Tim Burton-inspired light trail now open to the public, it really feels like the holidays are around the corner. No, we’re not complaining. We actually cannot wait. 

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Everyone knows about Chinatown’s famous Lunar New Year parade, when thousands take to the streets and celebrate the procession of lion dancers that bless businesses in the neighborhood with a year of good fortune. 

But not everyone knows that, every October, there is another festival that honors the contributions of Asian-American artists, performers and musicians who make up the vibrant fabric of Chinatown.

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The Chinatown Arts Festival is produced by Think!Chinatown, an organization that fosters the bustling art scene in the Manhattan neighborhood. 

Although the event’s full lineup will be announced on September 30, we already know what some of the highlights will be. This year’s festival headliner on October 12 will be singer and multi-instrumentalist Treya Lam, whose music is rooted in Chinese medicine wellness practices. A guided Cantonese opera experience about the Legend of the Purple Hairpin will also delight, this one in the bamboo garden at 5 Essex on October 25. The festival will wrap up with a huge block party on October 27, with tunes provided by DJ Yiu Yiu. 

If you’re looking for something a bit calmer, opt for the plenty literary events on schedule, including readings by Ava Chin and others. Music fans, on the other hand, should take part in Listening Sessions, where you’ll get to listen to vinyl records of Chinese music collected from the local Chinatown community.

Think!Chinatown’s Arts Festival aims to highlight emerging Asian artists and celebrate the storytelling, histories and people who make the neighborhood one of the most vibrant and visited in the entire city. 

To stay updated on the latest information about performances and schedules, visit the festival’s website. 

* This article was originally published here