About Us

Northwoods Rock Rally was founded by a group of friends looking to throw a big party in a field near their home. That group, spearheaded by Phil Schmidt and John Edming, had the first Rock Rally with Jackyl in 2007. Adding infrastructure over the years, eventually Northwoods Rock Rally grew to a medium sized festival with radio support, and became well-known and respected across the Midwestern United States.

Over the years of NWRR, there have been many notable acts, including RATT, Skid Row, Sevendust, Buckcherry, Saving Abel, WARRANT, Hinder, P.O.D., Pop Evil, and Black Stone Cherry, among many others! What began as a small party, became a serious festival, and the ownership group worked year-round to build the brand and property to what it is today.

In March of 2021, Jon Kaiser made a deal with property owner Phil Schmidt to utilize the property and name for a "Resurrection" of NWRR. He capped the attendance at "1000" tickets to be able to properly prepare for the festival as a first-timer. After it was all said and done, the Resurrection was a success, and Jon has decided to bring it back in 2022, along with its sister festival, Northwoods Country Rally. Jon has a long-term plan of bringing even more events to the Rally Grounds in the future, and wants to grow the local music scene.