Rock Fest 2024 Recap – Our First Rock Fest Experience
We got invited to join a few friends from Shiprocked. We pulled our camper for us all to stay in. We left Tuesday night and headed to Jamestown to drop off the kids. We stayed the night and got up early Wednesday to drive the next 6 Hours. We did not plan to stop in Fargo till I remembered that I did not grab my shoes and I only had my Hey Dudes, I did not want to have just them for the weekend.
We made a stop at Nice Juicery in Alexandria, MN. We have stopped there before and loved the juice they make. It was also a good time for us to stop for food.
We still had a few more hours to go, so we got back on the road. We hit some trafic when we got closer to St. cloud that did not let up till we got to the border. We pulled into the festival campgrounds around 7:30pm got the camper all set up and ready for the weekend. Then at 9:15 we went to the Bud Light Who's on Top Stage to catch Quiet Riot. Closed out the night with a big bowl of cheese curds then headed back to camp.
Rock Fest 2024 in Cadott, WI was an experience we’ll never forget! From the moment we arrived to the final encore, it was non-stop energy, music, and memories. This was our very first Rock Fest, and we’re already planning on coming back. Here’s a breakdown of our experience, day by day.
Our Standing VIP Experience
We are so glad that Nick and Hilary invited us and provided the VIP ticket. One of the best decisions they made was going with Standing VIP passes. It made the festival so much more enjoyable. Having two meals provided each day was a lifesaver (festival food can add up fast. ) witch we still had our share of, and having drinks available kept us refreshed all weekend long.
The VIP area gave us a great view of the stage without feeling overcrowded, and it was the perfect mix of comfort and excitement. For anyone thinking about Rock Fest, VIP is definitely worth considering!
Day 2 Thursday July 18th
Thirty Seconds to Mars & More
Our Rock Fest officially kicked off with Thirty Seconds to Mars headlining the night. Jared Leto’s energy was unreal and set the tone for the weekend. Before that, we caught bands like Killswitch Engage, Sevendust, and Dirty Honey. Each band brought a different vibe. One thing about music is there is always something that you might like if you just go and see a band that you don't know.
One of the highlights was seeing Sleep Theory again. We seen them on Shiprocked 2024 and said if we get a chance to see them again it is a must
Here is the line up for today.
Day 3 Friday July 19th
Shinedown Shines Bright
Friday night belonged to Shinedown—a band that always knows how to put on a show. The lights, the sound, and the connection with the crowd made it unforgettable.
But one of the biggest highlights of the entire festival for us was able to seeing From Ashes to New again. Their performance was intense, emotional, and everything we hoped it would be. They were a must-see for us, and they did not disappoint. We had to cut Beartooth short just to get up to see them.
We got pit ticket from a friend that was unable to make it for Parkway Drive, With this being our first time we did not really understand what the pit ticket where. After getting there and experiencing it. If you have a favorite band it give you the chance to be right up front of the stage.
Here is the line up for today.
Day 4 Saturday July 20th - Nicole Birthday!
Closing Out with Jelly Roll
Saturday was the grand finale, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to close out our first Rock Fest. Jelly Roll took the stage and absolutely owned it. Hands down, if you ever get the chance to see him live, we 100% recommend it. His mix of raw honesty, storytelling, and powerful performance made it the perfect ending to an amazing weekend.
Along the way, we also caught Chevelle, Kingdom Collapse, and Fever 333, who all had the crowd rocking.
Here is the line up for today.
Jelly Roll, Chevelle, Fever 333, Of Mice & Men, 2 Live Crew, Struggle Jennings, Austin Meade, Liliac, Holy Wars, Another Day Dawns, Blue Felix, Kingdom Collapse, Ignescent, Eyes Like Midnight, Alborn, Dark Sun, Sepsiss, NeverWake, Who's Who, Motorcityhead, Leaving Hope, SIIN, Hammer Down Hard.
Final Thoughts
Rock Fest 2024 was everything we imagined and more—great music, amazing people, and memories that will stick with us forever. The Standing VIP experience made it even better, with meals, drinks, and a great spot to enjoy the shows.
This was our first Rock Fest, but it definitely won’t be our last.
If you’ve ever thought about going, trust us—you need to experience it at least once. And if you get the chance to see bands like From Ashes to New or Jelly Roll live, don’t miss it!
Just like every festival there are so many bands that you want to see but you have to pick and choose or cut out of one early to catch another.