Derby To Celebrate 350th Birthday With Parties, Fireworks, History Lessons & Time Capsule Opening

DERBY – A celebration to commemorate Derby’s 350th anniversary will officially kick off May 13.

The series of events to mark the official founding of Derby being named a township in 1675 will include everything from a time capsule opening, to fireworks, to a pub crawl, to a formal gala.

A Derby 350th Anniversary Committee has been working since fall 2024 putting together a variety of events to celebrate the milestone.

“It’s an historical occasion and we are very proud of our long and rich history in the City of Derby that goes back to the settlement in 1643, and our official charter in 1675,” said committee chairman/town and city clerk Marc Garofalo. 

Garofalo said the events are not only geared for longtime Derby residents but will also provide an opportunity to reintroduce Derby to newer residents. 

“We’re trying to do something every month to mark the anniversary,” Garofalo said.

The committee has set up a Facebook page where throwback photos, historical tidbits and upcoming events can be found.

Here’s a partial list of some of the 350th Anniversary events on tap. 

Additional events are being planned for next year, leading up to May 2026. 

Be sure to regularly check the Facebook page for more details, additional events and times and dates as each event gets closer.

* Tuesday, May 6 – 300th Anniversary Video and Bradley Historic Slide Watch Party, 2nd Congregational Church, Elizabeth Street, 6 p.m.

• Thursday, May 8 – 350th Anniversary Silver Tea, (sponsored by Derby Senior Center and Derby Historical Society), Derby Senior Center, 283 Main St., 12 p.m.

• Tuesday, May 13 – Kick-off events. Derby Public Library clock ringing/rededication of grandfather clock, Derby Public Library, 11:30 a.m. Time capsule (from the 300th) opening, Derby Green; Opening Ceremony, Derby Green, 6 p.m.

• Friday, May 30, Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 – Weekend Celebration featuring musical entertainment, food trucks, kids’ activities

• 350th Summer Concert Series – Series of weekly concerts on the Derby Green, with bands to be announced 

• Thursday, July 3, fireworks 

• Saturday, Aug. 30 (Labor Day Weekend) – All-Class (Derby High School) Reunion

• Saturday, Sept. 20 – Taste of Derby, Warsaw Park, Ansonia, featuring food from various Derby restaurants 

• Saturday, Sept. 20 – Olde Derby Pub Crawl, featuring a party bus stopping at various Derby watering holes 

• Friday, October 17 – 350th Gala Ball, THC/Grassy Hill Lodge

• Friday, November 28 – Annual Holiday Tree Lighting, Derby Green, 5 p.m.

• December – Olde Derby Colonial Tree Lighting, Academy Hill Green

• May 2026 – A new time capsule with items collected over the course of the 350th events will be filled and buried

In addition to the events, the city also released its official 350th anniversary logo, designed by resident Eric Lazowski. 

“The committee has designed each event to celebrate the city, our forefathers and Derby’s rich history,” said committee member Jim Gildea.

Gildea, who is also chairman of the Derby Board of Education, said he remembers when the city celebrated its 300th anniversary when he was an eight-year-old student at Irving School.

“I vividly remember the last one, and dressing up for the event in knickers,” Gildea said. ​“For me, I feel I’ve come full circle. I attended (the 300th) as a young boy of 8 and here we are 50 years later. I feel like I’m a native son who’s now helping organize a similar event in celebration for the people who live in our town.”

Garofalo, like Gildea, was also eight-years-old when the city celebrated its last big hurrah. He recalled watching a parade and visiting a colonial village set up in Osbornedale State Park that highlighted Derby’s 300 years in existence.

Serving on the 350th Anniversary Committee are:

Christine Boulay

Marc Garofalo

James Gildea

Michael Kelleher

Felicia Monaco

Randal Ritter

Robin Smith

John Walsh

Kim Mastrianni

Grace Sojka

Laurel Vicidomino

Maria, Blackwell

Kelly German Santiago

Markanthony Izzo

Pam Matto

Melanie O’Connell Anderson. 

Garfofalo said Alderwomen Amy Pettinicchi and Sarah Widomski have been serving as committee liaisons for the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen, while Michele Linane, Lisa Brailey, Margaret Vicidomino, Suzanne Reilly and Allison Stochmal have been active volunteers. Derby Librarian Marianne Smertiuk and mayoral assistant Pam Happy have also been helping out.

According to the Derby Historical Society, the city, once part of Milford, was occupied by John Wakeman in 1642 as an old Dutch trading post before it was officially named after Derby, England in 1675 by the state legislature in Hartford. Located at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck rivers, the city became an ideal spot for shipbuilding. From the first water-powered gristmill in 1681 to the opening of the Housatonic Dam in 1870, Derby later became a successful manufacturing town. In the 19th century, all types of goods, from hoop skirts to corsets, were being produced here.