Welcome to the Sugary Scoop, my free weekly newsletter where we help you see and experience the magic of NYC that I love so much through curated events, experiences, artists, and community stories.

Let’s get to this week’s Scoop!

Sunday 🍬 6.22

2:00pm (Bushwick) - SPF Super 8: A Community BBQ 🍭- In partnership with Sugary member Irena Lasenby, we present the first of a monthly series of epic BBQs that we’ll be hosting.  Come enjoy an endless buffet of bounty as the food keeps coming and the beverages keep flowing.  Last time we did this we lost count of how many dishes we made…and that was even before the grilling started! This is the BBQ you fast for, and the perfect way to kick off the summer! Come to be in good company and good eats! Immaculate vibes!

It’s not fancy, but it’ll be fan-fuckin-tastic! RSVP Here.

_{(Social Battery Level: High Extrovert - Crowd Size 75-100)}

NOTABLE NYC EVENTS FROM FRIENDS

Monday 🍬 6.9

6:00pm (Dumbo): Crafty Hour: Junk Journaling by Art Gurl ✨🎟️ - Join us for a cute evening of crafting and yapping in dumbo!!! This is your invitation to get off your screen and spend an evening creating instead of consuming. :) RSVP HERE

6:30pm (Williamsburg): Gathering Neshama | Volume 8 — National Donald Duck Day by Leandro Taub ✨🎟️ - Join us for the eighth edition of Gathering Neshama, connect, build meaningful relationships, celebrate our shared identity, and uplift our collective mission. RSVP HERE

8:00pm (Prospect Heights): Reading Series by Franklin Park 🎲 - Join us on the second Monday of each month for readings from emerging and established fiction writers, memoirists, essayists, and poets. We showcase local talent and host authors from around the world. RSVP HERE

Tuesday 🍬 6.10

6:00pm (UES): Museum Mile Festival 2025 by City of New York ✨ - A free annual event where several museums open their doors for the evening along this stretch of 5th Avenue. No cars are allowed, so the festival becomes a walker's paradise with many other attractions such as street musicians, art-related activities for children, food vendors, and more.  NO RSVP NEEDED

7:00pm (Flatiron): BE HEARD. EVERYWHERE. by Too Lost 🎲 - Join us for the launch party of the Too Lost app! Artists, music lovers, and industry professionals all welcome. Let’s celebrate a new era of independent music. RSVP HERE

Wednesday 🍬 6.11

6:00pm (Chelsea): After Hours Viewing & Poetry Reading | Spotlight: Peter Halley by Flag Arts Foundation 🎲 - On the occasion of Spotlight: Peter Halley, The FLAG Art Foundation will host an after-hours viewing and poetry reading with poet Elaine Equi and artist Peter Halley  NO RSVP NEEDED

6:30pm (Boerum Hill): ‘Vegas’ Brooklyn Launch Party with Stephanie Danler by McNally Editions ✨ - Raise a glass with us as we celebrate the reissue of John Gregory Dunne's Vegas: A Memoir of a Dark Season NO RSVP NEEDED

6:30pm (Dumbo) ***MULTIPLE DATES 6/11 - 6/14***: Oaxaca: Tierra y Tiempo by Infinite Table ✨🎟️ - An immersive video, storytelling, and dining experience. We create cultural empathy and connection through immersive storytelling that brings people into each other’s worlds. RSVP HERE

Use code “SUGARY” for preferred pricing

Use code “HECHOENMEXICO” ONLY if you are Mexican-identifying for most preferred pricing

Thursday 🍬 6.12

6:00pm (Flatiron): Community is Medicine by Liz Friedland ✨ - Community isn’t a trend—it’s a core human need. Real connection has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress, and support emotional and physical wellbeing in ways we’re only beginning to fully understand. RSVP HERE

6:30pm (LES): AAPI Community Night: Featuring Creators of Tribeca Short Films by AZN Americana ✨ - Join us for a night celebrating Tribeca's AAPI creators and the magic of short films. Come and connect with other local filmmakers! RSVP HERE

6:30pm (South Street Seaport): 175 Years of Harper's Magazine by McNally Jackson ✨🎟️ - Celebrate 175 years of Harper's!  Writers, editors, and friends of the magazine will gather to toast the publication of this special anniversary issue and enjoy short readings by contributors to its pages. RSVP HERE

7:00pm (New York, NY): Ding A Ling by Joust ✨🎟️ - Ding-A-Ling means "stupid" or "eccentric" so let's go Ding-A-Ling over some board/card and party games this summer. RSVP HERE

Friday 🍬 6.13

10:00am (Chelsea): Louise Nevelson by Pace Prints 🎲 - An exhibition of lithographs, aquatint etchings, cast paper reliefs, and sculptural multiples celebrating the decades long relationship between Pace Prints and the artist. NO RSVP NEEDED

6:00pm (Tribeca): Smoking Mirror: Esteban Ramón Pérez by Charles Moffett 🎲 - This marks Pérez’s inaugural solo exhibition with Charles Moffett and builds upon several past presentations of the artist’s work at the gallery, including the two-artist and group exhibitions Longest Way Round (2025), Genius Loci (2023), and Sobre Las Olas (2022). NO RSVP NEEDED

6:30pm (Tribeca): Emerge: A Night of Deep Release by Tracey Zhang 🎲🎟️ - Join us for a focused gathering for genuine healing, reconnection, and emotional freedom. RSVP HERE

8:00pm (LIC): Night at the Museum: Pride by Moma PS1 🎲🎟️ - Full-throttle camp, WWE pageantry, queer ebullience, and a little leather: it’s time to celebrate Pride the PS1 way. Join us for Night at the Museum, our after-hours party hosted with Visual AIDS and featuring the most exciting and experimental queer performers working today. RSVP HERE

Saturday 🍬 6.14

12:00pm (Central Park): Vegan Rice Ball Taste Test by Peaceful Veggie Girl 🎲 -  Vegan Food Taste Test | Donation-Based Come enjoy 5 flavors of Banzofu(Tofu made from chickpeas) rice balls infused with seasonal veggies and flavors RSVP HERE

12:30pm (Chinatown): Community PRIDE Celebration: Panel Discussion by Welcome to Chinatown 🎲 -  Come celebrate Pride in Chinatown with Welcome to Chinatown. We are excited to host Panel Discussion: Building Queer Community in Chinatown: A Radical Act of Belonging" RSVP HERE

12:00pm (Chelsea): Pigeonfest by The High Line 🎲 - A full-day festival celebrating pigeons, urban ecology, and public art. RSVP HERE

4:00pm (Bushwick): Rooftop Party: Brooklyn Blend by Lightning Society ✨🎟️ - Get ready for Lightning Society’s one and only rooftop party of the summer — a celebration of Brooklyn pride and nostalgic reimaginings. Brooklyn Blend is a love letter to our collective Brooklyn experience. RSVP HERE

Monday 🍬 6.16

6:00pm (Dumbo): Hostology II: a gathering for dinner party hosts by Tiny Dinner ✨ - Bringing together people who love to host for a conversation on the art and science of hosting the perfect dinner party. Come meet your fellow hosts and exchange tips and stories over wine and cheese. RSVP HERE

7:00pm (New York, NY): Sunset Sessions: Journaling Experience at Domino Park Square by Journaling Classes ✨🎟️ - ​Celebrate the start of summer with a special sunset journaling experience at Domino Square. RSVP HERE

Wednesday 🍬 6.18

6:00pm (Soho): Mad Heart, Be Brave Opening Reception by Sadaf Padder & Fridman Gallery 🎲 - Featuring artists working across painting, sculpture, video, sound, and mixed media, Mad Heart, Be Brave challenges received ideas of home, proposing instead a fluid, generative space shaped by rupture, return, and reinvention.
NO RSVP NEEDED

6:30pm (Tribeca): Noén Volume 2 by Casa Magazines 🎲 - We started Noén with a printed love letter to intimacy in all its forms. Volume 1 was about Art. Now, Volume 2? Food.
RSVP HERE

7:00pm (Clinton Hill): Print Club: Linocut Printmaking by RecCreate Collecctive 🎲🎟️ - We'll explore the world of block printing, crafting one of a kind lino blocks for endless usage on paper or fabric— leaving with a variety of personalized prints using your 4x6 block.
RSVP HERE

Thursday 🍬 6.19

11:00am (FiDi): Daytime Preview x Art & Sustainability by Terra Mode 🎲 - Unleash your inner artist, spark meaningful dialogue, and create art at TERRA MODE's Daytime Preview x Art & Sustainability, a hands-on, immersive celebration of creativity as a force for climate awareness, innovation, and joy.
RSVP HERE

4:00pm (FiDi): Creative Run Club: NYC Edition by CRC 🎲 - The Creative Run Club, funny enough, is not a traditional run club. Though, we are named a run club because of our famous running shot that we all do together. We do it to spread the joy of creating together knowing we are not alone.
RSVP HERE

Friday 🍬 6.20

5:00pm (Prospect Heights): Red vs Blue w/ Third Nature - an experimental water balloon battle by S1E2 🎲 - This isn’t just a party. It’s a live story you get to enter. The game will be real. The rules will be loose. The stakes? Just your dry clothes and your dignity.
RSVP HERE

Saturday 🍬 6.21

10:00am (Meatpacking): NYC Pride Run / Walk by Mobius 🎲 - Join us in celebration of Pride month for a 5k on the West Side Highway! In partnership with NYC Pride, we'll be running, jogging, and walking along the WSH as a community.
RSVP HERE

11:30am (Flatbush): 24-HOUR 🌎 SING FOR THE EARTH 🌍 by Gaia Music Collective & Make Music New York ✨ - This joyous celebration of music, nature, and community will take place in NYC on the Summer Solstice, June 21st! Inspired by the tradition of Bobby McFerrin's Unbroken Circle, the idea is to gather for 24 hours of nonstop music-making in honor of our planet, including circle singing, improvisation, participatory performances, music games, dancing, and whatever else we can think of to keep the song spinning.
NO RSVP NEEDED

Tune-In

Get your channel clicker ready, we’re gonna be starting a podcast / YouTube channel.

At the end of this month DK and I are gonna film the first episodes of our podcast which will then be made available on a host of platforms and content repurposed for additional social media.

What can you expect from this new endeavor?

Well, in a nutshell it’s gonna be DK and I chatting about all kinds of topics involving culture and community, but the thing that is probably going to add fireworks to the mix is that our interaction will be on full display.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not in fact, all butterflies and roses behind the scenes.  You may or may not know it but DK and I sometimes are very much like oil and water as far as personalities go. 

It’s really only our mutual regard and respect for each other that creates the emulsification that makes it all work instead of blowing up entirely.

It is for that reason, we’ll be naming our new show: The Sweet & Salty w/ Sugary & DK

This will eventually fully replace the section of Sweet and Salty that we currently have in the newsletter as it’ll just be a more compelling piece of content for you all to enjoy.

In addition, we will also be inviting amazing guests to join us who will add additional color to the equation culled from my extensive network of friends i’ve made along the way.

It’s definitely exciting times and I hope that you’ll join us for this part of the ride and be immensely entertained by the hijinx and homily that is about to take place.

Tune in and tap that subscribe button…

(Once we get it up and running of course 😅)

THE SUGARY EFFECT

Family Style

This past May marked AAPI month and I was privileged to be invited to speak on several panels with regard to community and culture.

Now if you’ve ever been to any of these type of events the programming and themes typically center around celebrating and uplifting up and coming as well as established talent, discussions around specific issues pertinent to the community and a general vein of pride and prejudice in good spirit.

However, what I’ve come to notice over the years is that while these events provide a necessary function to the communities, it is also almost always ends up a veritable echo chamber…

…and thus a missed opportunity. 

So for one of my recent speaking opportunities, I wanted to advance an idea that I thought would complement the rinse and repeat modus operandi of such occasions.

As the mic was passed to me, I made an impassioned case for the inclusion of other communities as a distinct part of AAPI programming.  Not merely an invitation to join but an invitation to collaborate.

While we in effect “have the mic”, let’s take a leadership stance in this aspect and devote a portion of that attention towards greater dialogue and exchange with other communities.

We should flip the script on the notion of a “model minority” to that of a “modal minority” (special shout out to DK’s cousin pastor Lee for that one).

Let’s not just invite them to the table, but ask what their thoughts are on how the table should be positioned, have them join in on creating what is put on the table…and then work together on cleanup afterwards.

If we’re truly confident about our community, we should adopt an approach of abundance rather than one of scarcity.

Being Asian myself, the notion of abundance is a universal hallmark of our cultures.  We may not have invented “family style”, but we sure do live like it.

It would be a wasted opportunity if we merely adopted a stance of self-congratulatory posturing rather one of collaborative curiosity especially in a city like NYC where our neighbors are in fact the rest of the world.

Let’s enjoy soul food with our Seoul food, our kiddush with our karaoke, our hip hop with our Holi, and our coquito with our City Pop.

Now THAT is something worth celebrating!

Một hai ba, dô!

Are you a Sugary Member yet? Join the 175+ member community that gets you access to member-only events, special event perks, discounts and more

PAST EVENTS

Sunday, June 1st:  Zombie Tag V: Xtinction Protocol - Over 200 of you joined us as we continued our annual tradition of undead mayhem at one of our nations most venerated cultural institutions. A new record as our last one was 120+! This year’s winner Carly Callinan from LA beat out hundreds to claim the title and a prize befitting a champion of her caliber…a cheap NYC tote bag and a half eaten hot dog (Zombies crave meat after all). The fun was infectious and ultimately it reaffirmed the power of play and how important it is to us all.

THE SWEET & SALTY

What’s in a Name? (Hint: Everything)

So unless you somehow have been living under a rock, you know that “Sugary” is the result of reversing the order of my first name Gary and my last name Su.

People often ask me, “Well what do you prefer?” And my reply is always the same.

“I prefer Sugary.” 

However, if you end up calling me, Gary, it’s truly not the end of the world. I’m not precious that way about it though most people know me now as Sugary more than they know me as Gary.

It’s a piece of unforced genius level branding I need to thank my parents for unintentionally giving me because it really is my name in more ways than one:

• For Far East Asian cultures, we typically lead with our last name first.

• On all official documentation that matters, it’s always last name first.

I’ve won countless bets on the aforementioned points as remunerative compensation for my trials.

It’s been interesting since I have asserted Sugary as my name some nearly 10 years ago.  

By and large most people find it immensely refreshing or amusingly peculiar.  However, there is a subsection of folks that refuse to accept it…

…and it’s kind of annoying.

They go so far as to explain my own name on my behalf in social situations because they themselves cannot accept my name. I feel obligated to offer a rationale for the unexpected moniker.

Now, for the most part, I know that their intentions are good.  These are no bad people for the most part at the end mode the day.

Though I can’t ignore that many times, their rejection of what I choose to call myself is a reflection of their own uncomfortability with the name and in that discomfort, they seek to prioritize their own feelings instead of celebrating my given name…(and it is my given name) even if it comes in an order most are not used to.

This leads me to a larger pet peeve that I have with Western society in its general tendency to simplify or edit other people’s names for the sake of their own convenience.  They prioritize their own comfort over a commitment to learning proper pronunciation. And they do it so naturally because they are accustomed to it.

This is such a prevalent and imposing practice that minorities or marginalized communities that have names which are difficult for the western tongue and mind to process will edit or simplify their own names for the sake of assimilation and acceptance.

In open defiance of this practice, I’ve adopted a much different value.  

I refer to you by your given or chosen name/nickname.  

If it’s hard to pronounce, I’ll practice it.  If it’s unexpected, I’ll check my own discomfort. If I sense it’s shortened or modified, I’ll encourage the non-abbreviated unmolested version.

Will I get it right all the time? Of course not. Not the point. The point is one of effort which leads to a greater point of garnering respect and gratitude at a fundamental level.

I mean, it’s someone’s name for God sake.  

If your intent is to actually connect with someone, why wouldn’t you convey that level of basic respect?

A person’s name is closely tied to a person’s identity and self-worth so why would you start an interaction by degrading that?  It’s reductive, it’s insensitive and it’s remarkably uncouth even if it is unintentional.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across people I’ve connected with in my travels and when it gets to connecting, I see that they have adjusted their name for my convenience without me even asking for it.  

When I introduce the possibility that I’m even willing to learn and call them by their given or chosen name, their face instantly light up with curiosity and gratitude. It’s that rare that something even as simple as this can cause such a positive reaction.

So the next time you meet a Vas (short for Vasanth), a Tem (short for Temirlan), an Abi (short for Abiola) etc… ask them what their full name is and what they prefer to be called.  

I guarantee you that most people will never have even thought to give them that courtesy and you already have a leg up on creating a connection just from this simple act alone.

You’re welcome. —Sugary 🍬

Support for the Unsent Letter Project!

The Unsent Letter Mailbox is a grassroots storytelling movement creating anonymous spaces for vulnerability and radical honesty in New York City.

Over the past year, we’ve hosted 19 park installations, 7 sold-out salons, we've seen countless people in public, and received nearly 1000 unsent letters capturing the full spectrum of human emotion and has captured the attention of press outlets such as Secret NYC, NBC Nightly News and the Kelly Clarkson Show.

We’re thrilled to launch our pilot Curator Program, inviting like-minded folk to host anonymous gatherings in their communities. If you're keen, fill out this form!

Join The Unsent Letter Mailbox as a Social Media Intern!

The Unsent Letter Mailbox — an NYC-born art project that lives at the intersection of anonymous writing, emotional healing, and urban play — is growing FAST. We’re looking for a volunteer content collaborator who wants to grow with us.

You:

• Are emotionally fluent and creatively intuitive

• Know how to make something stop the scroll without screaming

• Love language, letters, and soft power

• Want to build something you can be proud of

We:

• Have been featured on NBC + The Kelly Clarkson Show

• Are planning scavenger hunts, secret salons, and continued urban pop-ups

• Are small, self-funded, and full of momentum

• Will give you full credit, mentorship, and future paid work if things align

This is 3-5 hours a week. Remote is cool. And vibes are everything.

If you're curious, email [email protected] or DM @unsentlettermailbox on IG! 

Call To Gather

‘Call to Gather’ champions creative play as essential for health and wellness; fostering mental, emotional, and social well-being. They believe everyone is a maker, and that its through shared creative experiences human beings build trust, collaboration, and can develop a deep sense of community.

Gather Artists are all highly experienced in their craft, providing quality creative sessions from a wide range industries for individuals to begin to explore their creative potential, heal, and connect - ultimately igniting personal and collective transformation in community.

Start your creative play HERE (use discount code: Sugary)

Connect IRL. Experience Fabrik.

Get in touch with NYC’s brightest communities and make new friends.

Fabrik is a home for communities and where everyone has a place to belong. With spaces designed to feel more like your living room than your office, Fabrik’s 'third spaces' are vibrant hubs where you can come together in real life, explore interests, forge meaningful connections, and enjoy a sense of community.

Sign-up here to experience a free trial at Fabrik.

Weekly events at Fabrik HERE

Othership offers immersive sauna and ice bath experiences that help human beings feel good now. A sanctuary for social self-care to move you from city buzz to inner calm.

Dive into the largest performance saunas in North America, experience otherworldly ice bath spaces and connect in an intimate amphitheater-style tea lounge surrounding a cozy fire place for socializing.

Expect towel-waving performances, aromatherapy, guided breathwork, visualizations, and somatic release to help you shift your state and regulate your emotions, in a world that can’t be regulated.

The founders of Othership have gifted us a New York 2 for 1 Deal. Get yours while they last!

EMPATHY PROJECT

Support the Empathy Project by purchasing any of the items from the collection. Be a part of a unique initiative that empowers seven diverse artists to create one-of-a-kind empathy-inspired t-shirts. These shirts serve as iconography tied to our identity, promoting compassion-driven societal impact. 

Each artist picked a 501(c)3 charity of their choice to donate a portion of the sales of their t-shirt design. Your purchase also empowers voices, amplifies the message of empathy, supports charities, and elevates storytelling within our communities, all while building a network for compassion-driven societal change. Join us in making a lasting impact through art and empathy.

You can check out and purchase the 7 different empathy tees HERE