1 Of The Hudson Valley’s Oldest Bar & Restaurant Suddenly Closes

It's the end of an era.

One of the oldest active bar and restaurant in the area closed down for good.

The Derby In Poughkeepsie, New York Is Closed

Hudson Valley Post has learned that The Derby in Main Street in Poughkeepsie served its last customers at the end of April.

A source close to the owner tells us that the bar's lease was up on Dec. 31, 2025 but was extended through April 2026.

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The lease wasn't renewed because the owner of the building is trying to sell the building, the source told Hudson Valley Post.

Longtime customers are shocked and sadden to hear of the closing. The source tells us a brief closure last month following a police investigation had nothing to do with the full closure.

Two Bartenders Arrested At The Derby

Last month, two bartenders at The Derby were arrested for allegedly selling alcohol to underage customers. Police said during their investigation they found 20 percent of the customers inside the bar were underage.

Inspectors also found "multiple code violations" and deemed the establishment "unsafe" to stay open. The business fixed the issues and reopened the next day.

"We resolved the Public assembly and Fire Department issues and we will be open for business Tuesday April 21st at 11am. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for all your support. See you tomorrow," The Derby wrote on Facebook.

That was the business's last Facebook post. Owners haven't posted about the closure.

Original Derby Opened Up In 1902

According to The Derby's Facebook page before its closing this week it was "the oldest active restaurant and bar in the area." It offered "American comfort fare in a refurbished '30s-era tavern with an old-timey, dark-wood interior."

The historic bar at 96 Main Street in Poughkeepsie opened up in the early 1900s as "The Brown Derby."

In the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s it was known as a legendary "hot spot" for students from nearby Marist and Vassar colleges.

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