NILES — With the aim to bring the community together with live music, gift giveaways and barbecue, several local churches are planning a Party in the Park. 

The community party will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at the amphitheater in Riverfront Park. It is free and open to the public to attend. The party will include a live music show from DPB and CREW, an Alabama rap band whose religious lyrics seek to be positive and inspirational.

Event organizer Jodi Mittan said Party in the Park is a collaboration between several Berrien County churches who wanted to promote ministry and also put on a free party for the whole community to enjoy.

“We are a group of individuals who try to organize and do community family-focused kingdom events,” Mittan said. “It is like a community ministry outreach. It’s not necessarily backed by any one church, just a group of us who have come together.”

Thanks to sponsorships from local businesses, organizers were able to bring the band DPB to perform in Niles. The businesses’ donations also supplied the gifts that will be given away during the Party in the Park. Some of those gifts include a bike, TV, gift cards and children’s toys.

“They have sponsored the band. Really wherever there has been a need, a local business will step up, which is phenomenal,” Mittan said.

Mittan said they wanted to bring out DPB and CREW, because the band is known to engage with their audience and inspire positivity.

DPB stands for David Paul Brooks, the artist who created the band. While they have performed on a variety of stages across the world, the band has also taken its shows to juvenile detention centers and homeless shelters.

“Sheriff [Paul] Bailey has backed the band coming into the St. Joseph area, which is kind of what inspired us to bring them over to the Niles area,” Mittan said.

In addition to their positive message, Mittan said the band has a reputation for engaging those in the audience. They have played in the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor area in the past.

Mittan encouraged families to bring blankets and lawn chairs to the park and come check out the event.

“We are just trying to gather people in the community and create an event that is free for them to come down and socialize, interconnect and kind of kick off the summer,” Mittan said. “We want to see unity … between people and churches.”

To learn more about the DPB and the CREW visit worldofdpb.com.