New Canaan News Staff Updated: 10/15/2009 02:56:15 PM EDT

There will be music in the streets as New Canaan continues its Thursday Evening Stroll series. Six high school bands will battle it out on the downtown streets, performing rock, pop and fusion music.

Bands will be judged on musicianship, stage presence and originality. Fairfield County's premiere dance/party band, The Short Bus, will judge these young musicians. "We remember playing our first gigs," said Mark Zelenz, lead singer for The Short Bus. "It's an exciting time to learn the craft of entertaining and fine tune those music skills -- and it's just such a blast to perform in front of an audience."

Bands will perform in two downtown locations on Elm and Main streets, performing every half hour, alternating between the two locations. Grand Prize winners will receive their very own photo shoot (perhaps for their next CD cover or Web site), sponsored by Venture New Generation Portraits.

The Outback Teen Center will be used in the event of rain. The Jam Club at New Canaan High School will host a bake sale, raising funds to keep music in the schools and support various initiatives put forth by high school musicians.