Downtown Niles is about to get a lot more colorful.

In an effort to help visitors — and locals for that matter — find things like free parking, restaurants and shops, a group of Niles citizens is creating flashy signs that will be placed on sidewalks around the downtown area.

Lisa Croteau, of Niles DDA/Main Street, said the non-permanent signs would be ready to go for this weekend’s Niles Trails and Ales Festivus event, as well as the beer and wine festival.

The goal, she said, is to help people get from the festival to the downtown’s shops and restaurants and vice versa. Signs will also show people where they can park.

“Hopefully we will find out if additional signage helps and if permanent signage might be needed in the future,” she said.

The Michigan Municipal League provided funding for a dozen plain plastic signs as part of an effort to improve connections between Riverfront Park and the downtown area.

About a dozen people, including professional sign maker John Lidecker, helped turn the plastic signs into veritable works of art last week by applying a little paint and a lot of creativity.

Lidecker said the vibrant signs fit his city’s eclectic personality.

“They are fantastic,” he said. “I think it is going to help Niles stand out.”

The signs aren’t finished yet.

Lidecker said they are in the process of determining the best way to convey “parking,” “shops/restaurants” or “festival” on each of the signs.

Work on the signs will continue at 6 p.m. today in the parking lot near the corner of Third and Broadway in downtown Niles. Everyone is welcome.