The event, scheduled for noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 10, will benefit the Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment, which supports arts programming in the community. The endowment is named after the son of Elizabeth and Bob Johnson, owners of The Cotton Company in downtown Wake Forest. Graham, a musician and poet, was 15 when he died in January 2006.
 

    The idea for the Battle of the Bands came after a board member attended a talent show at a local high school and came away impressed with the talent.

    "These kids put so much into whatever their private passion is," Elizabeth Johnson said. "It's nice for them to get an opportunity to show off what they can do."

   The event will be held in a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, which the Johnsons own, at 527 S. White St. in downtown Wake Forest. The Johnsons are working to develop the space and surrounding two acres as Festival Park and offer it as space for events, cultural arts programming and festivals.
 

   High school bands of any genre, as long as members are between the ages of 14 to 19, are eligible as long as songs don't include vulgar language and a dress code is followed. The deadline to apply is Oct. 19.

    Johnson said she hopes the first event becomes an annual one.

"It will be a real learning experience for us as far as what the kids are looking for," she said. "I think it will be a lot of fun."

    Go to www.festivalpark.org for the applications. Check out www.gjcae.org for more information on the endowment.