Rock Fantasy Holding Anniversary Concert at Abandoned Prison

Rock Fantasy of Middletown celebrating nearly 40 years with anniversary concert at abandoned correctional facility.

Rock Fantasy has been a Hudson Valley, NY mainstay since 1985, catering to the hard rock/heavy metal community starting off selling records, cassettes, CDs, and t-shirts, eventually incorporating tobacco products, along with comic books and other collectibles.

Also See: Popular Hudson Valley Music Festival Reportedly Not Returning in 2025

Photo courtesy of Stephen Keeler

During the 1990s and 2000s, the store would see meet and greets from rock/metal bands to pro wrestlers along with an ever-growing collection of pinball machines. Rock Fantasy now has a huge pinball room as part of their store at 12 East Main St in Middletown, and they often host pinball tournaments out of the shop.

Metallica and Black Sabbath Tributes Headline Rock Fantasy 39th Anniversary Show

Diamond Grade Media Entertainment presents 'Rock Fantasy 39th Anniversary Fest'. Get ready for an electrifying lineup featuring, Damage Inc, Into The Void, Spellbook, Final Siege, Firehaze, Prime Evil, Sickbay, Another Demon, Burn The Ships and Brotality. From thrash to classic metal, this festival delivers non-stop energy and epic performances.

Diamond Grade Entertainment

The Stage at Roosevelt Hall

This show will take place at The stage at Roosevelt Hall which is located inside the former Mid-Orange Correctional Facility in Warwick, NY. It was an all-male, medium initially designed to accommodate 400 inmates, the prison's population swelled to 1,000 during the 1980s amid the War on Drugs.

Origins as a Reform School

Established in 1932, the site originally housed the New York State Training School for Boys, a reform institution aimed at rehabilitating delinquent youth. The facility operated until 1976, attracting attention from figures like Eleanor Roosevelt, who highlighted the boys' experiences in her "My Day" columns .

Facing budgetary constraints, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of Mid-Orange in 2011, along with six other state prisons. Subsequently, the site was transferred to the Town of Warwick in 2014. Efforts to repurpose the property led to the creation of the Warwick Valley Office & Technology Corporate Park, featuring businesses like Drowned Lands Brewery and Green Thumb Industries, as well as recreational spaces such as Wickham Woodlands Park.

Rock Fantasy (Rock Fantasy Concert Shop) YouTube

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Don’t miss this legendary night of music, community, and giving back! Doors open at 2pm with music from 3pm- 11:3pm at Warwick Stage at Roosevelt Hall located 122 State School Road, Warwick, NY. The event is a fundraiser for Pets Alive. General Admission tickets are $20 and special $30 VIP tickets are also available which include a guaranteed spot up front drink and a drink ticket. Get tickets here.

Take a peek inside the former correctional facility below.

25 Places that Make Warwick, Warwick

Based in Orange County, New York near the New Jersey border, Warwick was incorporated in 1789, it includes the villages of Florida, Greenwood Lake, and the eponymous village itself. Not only does it have villages within itself, it also includes eight hamlets.

Gallery Credit: Mary Murphy