9.26.26 Rock Your ALS Off

Wander through the Iroquois River forests and arrive at the Oasis: a mystical camp hidden in the woods. The Oasis plays as an anchor site to an Americana music festival in support of ALS research. A short walk away is the riverside stage and tree deck, offering one of the most unique and intimate experiences to enjoy outdoor music. We invite you to get lost with us in the woods and the music on September 26, 2026.

AbOUT

Started in 2025, the Rock ALS fundraiser is a concert series in partnership with the Hop On a Cure non-profit. This organization was started by Zac Brown Band Founder John Driskell Hopkins, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021. He has since worked to build a community of supporters aligned to find a cure. This concert has locked arms with Hop On A Cure to further their efforts.

The event is hosted at a private farm in Sheldon, IL. It features a lineup of professional musicians in an intimate outdoor setting. Americana, country, folk, and rock are the targeted music genres, but we’re open to booking anyone who’s going to make people rock. A main attraction is the tree deck VIP lounge that overhangs the stage, offering the best views of the music and river scenery.

2026 Line up

Chicago Farmer

Fans of Rock ALS are in for something truly special — Cody Diekhoff, the heart and soul of Chicago Farmer, will be stepping on stage for a rare solo performance that takes it all the way back to where the band started. The son of a small-town Illinois farming community who found his voice in the grit of Chicago, Cody built Chicago Farmer from the ground up as a one-man ‘folk and roll’ act — just him, his guitar, and stories that hit you right in the chest. Since then, he’s lit up stages across the country, including the Summer Camp Music Festival, and shared them with folk greats like Todd Snider. This solo set is a throwback to his early days: intimate, stripped-down, and acoustic in the way only a single voice telling the truth can be. If you've never experienced Cody solo, this is your chance. If you have, you already know — you don't miss this.

Reveal # 2: COMING SOON

A Southern voice with roots his own,

Through strings and stories, seeds are sown.

He's shared the stage, he's stood alone,

From harmony to songs homegrown.

A bass that grounds a well-known band,

Georgia-born with guitar in hand.

Reveal # 3: COMING SOON

A Nashville heart with distant roots,

She traded East for Western boots.

Two worlds collide in every song,

Proving country's where she's always belonged.

A voice that bends what you'd expect,

A bridge between, not to reject.

Headliner: REVEAL COMING SOON

A Southern soul with rhythm and blues,

brought the funk to country's shoes.

From Alabama red dirt roads,

A voice that carries heavy loads.

He moves the stage like no one can,

More preacher's fire than quiet man.

Festival Agenda

Get parked, set up, relaxed, and prepare for the 3pm Meet the Artists if you bought a VIP ticket. Otherwise, loosen up and wait for the music to start at 4pm.

Meet all the artists performing at Rock ALS. Get signatures, take photos, thank them, or ask that burning question that’s been on your mind.

As the ultimate pump-you-up start to a music festival, we will have an airplane fly above the riverfront stage, releasing an aesthetically wowing smoke stream.

Our first musical act features a Rock ALS original - Chicago Farmer. This is a rare opportunity to see him perform solo, a throwback to his early beginnings as an artist.

A professional fireworks show to end Rock ALS with a literal bang.

An after-party for a smaller group of VIPs that includes music, bonfires, and dancing under the starlight.

Location

The Rock ALS music festival is located at 2045 North 3200 East Road in Sheldon, IL. The site is a private, family farm along the Iroquois River and the Indiana/Illinois state line. The concert is hosted on a scenic, riverside stage.

Over 70 years ago, this land was home to a cattle herd. What they’ve left behind is a perfect music venue that has long sat idle, just waiting to create memorable concert experiences.

The day’s activities take place at 2 sites. The first is the parking area that we call the Oasis. It’s a 15-acre clearing in the middle of woods that is a short walk away from the river stage.

The second is the stage area, a roughly 3-acre clearing along the river amid a forest of floodplain trees. A tree deck, stage, restrooms, and food trucks are set up here for the event.