Spring hasn’t ended yet, but in the small town of Bellefontaine, Ohio, the summer’s best-kept secret is already taking shape.

Woodshock, the annual two-day hard rock festival tucked in the hills of the historic Native American site Zane Shawnee Caverns, is the creation of Bellefontaine resident Tim Buchenroth. He will bring the festival to its seventh year when it opens the second weekend of August.

“The first year I had 11 bands, no security except myself and a few friends, and I helped all 11 bands on and off stage because I was so concerned about the show running as scheduled,” Buchenroth said. “I spent about nine months organizing it and I cut all the tickets out of construction paper. After the first night, I was dehydrated and exhausted, and the second night I was beat. We had somewhere around 600 people there for the whole weekend advertised by just word of mouth and flyers.”

After the exhausting pace of the first Woodshock, Buchenroth was not going to have the event again. After some prodding from supportive friends, family and bands, Buchenroth began the daunting task of organizing Woodshock a second time.

“The second year, once again, I cut all the tickets myself and worked like a mad dog. I had put every penny I had into the show-but I was happy,” Buchenroth said. “By the third year, I felt the potential of what I had made happen and saw the future more clearly.”

Woodshock was originally supposed to be a single event to celebrate Buchenroth’s birthday, but has since morphed into a massive, two-stage, 70,000-watt, 28-band production, requiring Buchenroth to take on a partner and co-producer Adam Montemarano.

The agreement with the American Indians that own the land has grown as well, with a simple handshake six years ago turning into a five-page contract that allows Woodshock to keep returning to its home at the Caverns.

“The contract has been built straight from our experience working together,” Buchenroth said. “Fair and not greedy, stiff but reasonable. Chief Hawk is a very smart and fair individual. At any time we all feel that any problems that arise we can handle together. It’s a relationship that’s six years strong.”

The festival is different because everyone who attends-bands included-camp out for the entire event, producing the effect of a hippie festival, only in a hard rock atmosphere.

Laura Doud, a photographer who has covered rock festivals such as Lollapalooza and Horde, said Woodshock more than measures up to its high profile competitors.

“I thought it was wonderful,” she said. “The bands that played are almost all from Columbus and there wasn’t one that played that wasn’t very good. It was probably the best time I’ve ever had at a show like that.”

A large crowd of people under a blazing summer sun with the added affect of aggressive music playing into the night could be a recipe for trouble. But Buchenroth said he knows why only one arrest has occurred in the festival’s history.

“Fair prices on tickets, water, and food-we’re not out to gouge anyone,” Buchenroth said. “The show has always policed itself. Nobody wants (to be) kicked out and nobody wants to get hurt. Instead of just throwing people out when they’re upset, we talk to them and ask them why they’re so upset, and if we can help. The Indians come into play on this, they’re the best peace keepers to have.”

Doud agreed with Buchenroth about the festival’s conditions.

“The grounds are kept clean and there is good security,” she said. “A lot of times at festivals you’re afraid people will run off with your purse or something. This one was very well handled.”

Talent-wise, Buchenroth has had some of the best in underground hard rock grace his stage. In addition to independent acts from all over the country, heavyweights like The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight (featuring Jimmy Bower of Down), Mushroomhead, Flaw, Pro-Pain, Five Pointe O, Lure 609 and Bonz of Stuck Mojo are all Woodshock alumni. They have all helped lead to slow but steady national attention for the festival.

“I’ve been trying for years to get labels to check out my lineups,” Buchenroth said. “Woodshock is just sick with talent. I realize now that it’s just a matter of time before it really hits,” Buchenroth said. “The Midwest is getting ready to explode and Woodshock is going to be right in the heart of it.”