The 518's Curious Table invites you to feed your mind

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Happy Thursday, Capital Region! Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Curious Table, a series of curated events featuring experts speaking on the most fascinating topics, combined with dinner and drinks, in interesting settings throughout the Capital Region and the Hudson Valley. This is The 518’s first foray into producing our own events so we couldn’t be more excited! We hope you’ll join us.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Feed your mind: A new kind of feast coming to the Capital Region

In A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway captures a time in 1920s Paris when meals, conversations, and ideas flowed together in intimate cafés, apartments, and salons. 

It was less about food as sustenance and more about food as context—something that surrounds and enriches conversation, creativity, and connection. 

The memoir is filled with moments where people gather not just to eat, but to think, argue, imagine, and be captivated by ideas.

The 518’s new venture—Curious Table—is tapping into a similar spirit, but grounding it here in upstate New York. 

Like A Moveable Feast, it’s about the alchemy that happens when people come together over a table (or a couple of drinks), and knowledge and stories are shared with intention. It’s about letting one person’s obsession become another person’s spark.

In an era of endless scrolling, people are starving for depth, for real connection, for the electric feeling of discovering something that changes how you see the world.

Each Curious Table gathering will be curated around three elements: a fascinating expert who knows how to bring their passion to life, exceptional food and drink that creates comfort and community, and a warm setting that invites genuine exchange. 

Events will range from intimate dinners of 10-15 people to larger gatherings for 40-60 guests in thoughtfully chosen venues across the Capital Region and Hudson Valley. 

To launch Curious Table, Phat is partnering with Kyle Elysse Posson, the co-founder of Undrunk Club and Posson Welding. She also runs her own marketing agency, Lost and Profound, and is a seasoned event planner and brand marketer, having worked with Death Wish Coffee and Barstool Sports, among others.

Invited speakers “might be an expert on fungi and psychedelics,” Phat says in this Capital Region Living magazine profile. “It could be a historian who can tell us about the use of hot air balloons and submarines during the Civil War. It could be a fantasy novelist attempting to write the next Harry Potter.” 

We don’t want guests to be lectured to. We want them to engage, ask questions, share their own insights, and leave with new perspectives and—we hope—some new friendships, too.

"People come as strangers and leave as collaborators in curiosity," Kyle says. "It's like being part of a podcast in real life. But instead of just listening, you get to dive into the topic with the expert and the other guests."

Curious Table launches in September with regular gatherings planned throughout the year. We are currently seeking partnerships with brands, hosts and speakers. Got a cool venue or a passion you’re dying to share? Get in touch!

To be among the first to attend a Curious Table event, sign up at CuriousTable.com. 

Come hungry to feed your mind.

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👏 On Wednesday evening, we joined the standing room-only crowd at the first public workshop to exchange ideas for the $200 million Championing Albany’s Potential (CAP) Initiative. We were heartened to see so many people ready to roll up their sleeves to remake downtown. According to a live survey taken at the event, here are the top three priorities for residents: (1) more affordable housing, (2) greater public safety, and (3) more neighborhood-serving businesses. Good things are happening in Albany and we’re here for it.

🎸 Speaking of good things happening in Albany, several businesses on Lark Street are banding together to put on Lark Out Loud on Sept. 20. The free music festival is a return of sorts for Lark Fest, which has been dormant for a few years. This effort is being spearheaded by New Scotland Spirits, Lark Street Tavern, Savoy Taproom, among others. “It’s a powerful reminder that you don’t need a BID when you have a few motivated business owners seeking to revitalize the corridor,” New Scotland Spirits’ Jesse Sommer tells us.

🛒 Is the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32 on the chopping block? A Reuters report suggested that investment bank UBS is helping the grocery chain explore a possible sale. Not necessarily, says the company. The TU has the full report.

🚣‍♂️ While supplies last, you can pick up one of these beautiful commemorative posters celebrating the Erie Canal’s bicentennial. The posters are large and printed on heavy stock paper. We’re putting ours in the kids’ room! They are available at no charge on a first-come, first-serve basis at most of the main branches of NYS public libraries. In Albany, that would be the 161 Washington Avenue location (ask at the front desk). Alternatively, you can print your own copy with this image.

⭐️ 🎭️ The 2nd annual Capital Region Activated Artist Fest 2025 is a vibrant gathering where movement, images, stories, and voices rise in the name of justice. Presented by Create A Space NOW and Proctors, this free celebration uplifts local artists who create at the crossroads of beauty and change. Sat, 11a–6p, free.

⭐️📦️ The Cardboard Boat Races Festival is a day of boat races and cardboard creativity at Fort Hardy Park Beach in Schuylerville. This year’s fest invites participants to build and race cardboard boats inspired by iconic canal landmarks from around the world. Back by popular demand is the Cardboard Tower Building Contest. New this year is the first annual Paddleboard Races. Sat, registration begins at 9a, races at 1p, free to watch.

⭐️ 🇯🇲 The Caribbean Festival at Jennings Landing is a true summer highlight! Join over 2,000 people in Albany for a vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture, community, and cuisine. Enjoy traditional foods (oh, my goodness, the food!) music, stilt walkers, healing stations, kids’ activities, and more. Sat, 11a–6p, free with suggested donation.

⭐️ 🧱 After touring over 100 cities in 24 countries, Art of the Brick is finally coming to the Capital Region. The traveling exhibit of more than 100 large-scale sculptures by professional Lego artist Nathan Sawaya arrives Thursday at Armory Studios in Schenectady. Read an interview with Nathan at WAMC. Tues–Sun, 10:30a–6:30p, through Oct, $17.90 and up.

⭐️ The 2025 Markets at Round Lake celebrates all things handmade and heartfelt, bringing together makers, food vendors, and book markets into one dynamic space. We’re especially excited by the focus on the sustainable food movement, featuring 75 thoughtfully curated vendors serving up flavor with purpose. Sat, 9a–5p & Sun, 10a–4p, free.

🎟️ MORE NOTABLE EVENTS

TODAY

🍸️ This evening, Undrunk Club invites you for mocktails and macrons at the adorable Prince Tea House. Read our profile of this all-women, teetotaling social scene.

📜 Also Thursday, the NYS Museum invites you to Archive Adventures: Discover New York’s Hidden Stories. Each week, a curator will take you on a deep dive into one important document in the museum.

🎸 The last Rock the Block concert of the summer features Van Halen tribute band Completely Unchained.

🎡 The Schoharie County Sunshine Fair runs through Sunday. See the daily highlights here.

🎭️ You have until Sunday to catch “Once” at theREP. It’s a delightful swan song for Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, who is departing after 30 years as artistic director.

FRIDAY

🎻 Philadelphia Orchestra principal guest conductor Marin Alsop returns to SPAC for a delightful evening of Gershwin and Bernstein.

🌿 Get a guided tour of the museum’s historic herbarium at From Field to Folder: Exploring the Botanical Collections.

🫐 Bring your favorite blueberry dish to share at the Grafton Blueberry Festival.

SATURDAY

🖼️ Join our very own Karley Sullivan, Patrick Read, Annabelle Mona and Ruben Castillo for an artists’ talk tied to Context Collective’s current show, “Worlds Within Worlds.”

🦇 The always-popular Albany Twilight Market returns to Quackenbush Square.

🎸 The ILL FUNK Ensemble plays Scotia’s Freedom Park concert series.

🏳️‍🌈 The Costumer Retail Store at Mohawk Harbor invites you to see Mad Drag Tea & Keke, featuring drag performances on their outdoor patio. And on Sunday, Troy’s Bard & Baker is putting on Dungeons & Drag Queens—think DnD meets drag.

SUNDAY

👹 Love Japanese animation? Come out to the Studio Ghibli Fest 2025: Grave of the Fireflies at the Regal theater in Clifton Park. Btw, on Saturday, Byrdhouse Records presents Anime Rave at No Fun.

🎈Saratoga Winery hosts the Kindness Carnival, a back-to-school fundraiser featuring a bounce house, face painting, obstacle courses, balloon twisting, and more.

🪕 The all-day Adirondack Folk Music Festival in Schroon Lake features “Powerful Women: Voices, Songs & Music.” The event is free, so bring your lawn chairs and good vibes!

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE LIST 🎸

Our rolling deadline is the Saturday before your event!

 💌 GET IN TOUCH!

Got an awesome business, event or personality we should feature? Let us know! Contact: [email protected]