Jackson, who died on June 25, 2009, would have turned 53 on Monday. The Times of Munster reports that the northwestern Indiana city is planning a four-day party. Gary's party will feature musical performances, a circus, food and vendors in front of Jackson's boyhood home and the Leonard Douglas Stadium at Roosevelt High School.
City spokeswoman LaLosa Burns says the city of Gary wants to preserve the legacy of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family.
The entertainer's parents are there for the event. His mother has fond memories of her family living in the tiny four-room house.
"They used to practice in the living room and all the neighborhood kids would be around peaking through the windows and listening and dancing," said Katherine Jackson, mother.
The Jackson family left Gary and moved to California in 1969 after the Jackson 5 struck it big.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
