As part of its monthly Second Saturdays, Nappanee is hosting a battle of the bands from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, at Leadership Park.

Four bands will be playing in the friendly competition: Desert Road Band, Heart String Bluegrass, Aaron Stutzman and Double Strung.

Desert Road Band is something of a family affair, made up of brothers, cousins and friends. Band leader Leon Burkholder and his brother, Howard, have written hundreds of songs over the years.

Heart Strings Bluegrass is a classic gospel-bluegrass act, featuring melodic picking and rich vocal harmonies. They do songs that lift spirits and tug at heart strings.

Aaron Stutzman is a singer-songwriter and yodeler. Hailing from Millersburg, he writes original songs and carries on a rich bluegrass tradition of yodeling.

Double Strung is an unplugged duo consisting of Matt Schwartz on guitar and Roxie Artis on bass and banjo. Schwartz and Artis both sing, and they’ve been touring around Michiana playing country, bluegrass and gospel, and putting their own spin on rock songs.

Each band will play two sets. Desert Road Band plays at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Heart Strings Bluegrass play 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Aaron Stutzman goes on 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. And Double Strung plays at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

If all the great tunes whets your appetite, check out the Nappanee Fire Department’s famous all-you-can-eat fish fry going on at the fire station at the same time as the BotB.

For auto enthusiasts, there will be a Car Cruise-In at the Nappanee United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. There’s also a Bike Cruise-In at 107 East Marion Street starting at 1:30 p.m.

As it is Second Saturday, there are all kinds of fun activities and retail deals going on throughout Nappanee. Visit www.visitnappanee.com for more information.