NILES —  As the summer air begins to cool the evening of June 29, people will be setting up lawn chairs and picnic blankets near the Chapin Mansion and listening as the Andrews University’s Early Music Ensemble revives the music of the Renaissance and Medieval eras.

Hosted by the Niles History Center, “A Midsummer Night Revel at the Chapin Mansion,” will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 29, at 508 E. Main St. While the concert is free and open to the public, a $5 donation is suggested and will help to fund efforts to renovate the historic mansion’s porch so that it is ADA-compliant.

The Early Music Ensemble will fuse modern with the historical. The band is comprised of a modern brass quartet and historically correct instruments. Those who attend will be encouraged to talk with musicians and learn more about the unique instruments.

In addition to live music, local author Renae Johnson will sell her book “Hidden Dragons” at the event. The community is also invited to check out the first floor of the Chapin Mansion which will be open for people to explore.

Niles History Center Director Christina Arseneau invited the community to set up a picnic on the lawn and enjoy non-alcoholic beverages while they listen to music. She said the event is among many that the history center hopes to host to get more people to visit the Chapin Mansion and history center.

“We decided to hold this event based on the great response we had to our Renaissance Faire earlier this spring,” Arseneau said. “We keep looking for new events and reasons to get people to visit the Chapin Mansion and make new memories here.”

The porch renovation is one among several upgrades expected at the history center in the near future. In October, Arseneau presented some ideas for changes to the Niles city council. The aim, she said, is to create more interactive exhibits and encourage more people to visit the history center and Chapin Mansion, which once was home to Ruby and Henry Chapin.

The ADA-compliant porch is expected to cost about $250,000 and will allow access to the first floor of the mansion. Arseneau said she is looking for grants to help cover some of the cost and they hope to begin construction this fall.

Much like the concert will provide, Arseneau said she also intends to make the history center and mansion the backdrop for other community events, encouraging more people to see all the locations have to offer.

“Part of the larger project is to re-invent the whole history center,” Arseneau said. “We want people to experience the history center and mansion in different ways beyond just the history of the place.”

Arseneau encouraged people of all ages to get in the spirit and dress up in their Medieval attire or just attend the event and listen to the music. 

“I think that it is going to be a nice low-key event,” Arseneau said. “Get some snacks and enjoy some music. They have some unusual instruments that you don’t see today. It will be a learning experience and a place where you can sit and listen.”