NILES — Gabriela Winkler remembers exactly where she was when a friend called her 13 years ago and first asked her to start singing as a Swing Sister.

As it happens, Winkler was leafing through sheet music at a shop in Denton, Texas, while visiting her son. Her friend, the late Judi Larson, called and asked Winkler if she wanted to join her in singing Christmas songs at some nursing homes.

Winkler said yes and described the moment as the “birth of the Swing Sisters.” Though they were not biological sisters, the two shared a strong connection through music.

After years touring Michiana and performing at a variety of locations, Winkler and fellow swing sister, Nancy Enstrasser, will bring their musical talents to Riverfront Park to perform for the Concert Series in the Park.

The concert will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday at the amphitheater. The concert is free and open to the public to attend. Each concert seeks to raise awareness and funds for a local nonprofit. This week’s chosen nonprofit is the Pregnancy Care Center.

For their Niles performances, the pair will perform music from the late 1930s and early 1940s.

“We want to educate and introduce them to the wonderful music of an era,” Winkler said. “We have a lot of sing-alongs and hopefully songs that even the kids will know.”

Winkler particularly loves reviving patriotic themed songs that she grew up with, such as “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and “Coming in on a Wing and Prayer.”

Winkler also said she hopes the concerts serve as a way to provide nostalgia for the older generation, while encouraging the younger generation to take an interest in the music. Each of the Swing Sisters’ performances includes information about the music and several personal stories.

The duo is best known for performing an assortment of music from the 1890s to 1950s. The Swing Sisters take many of their performances to memory care facilities and senior living facilities. Winkler said she loves seeing the songs bring back memories.

“They might be sitting there and all of sudden they are talking and saying, ‘I remember that,’” Winkler said. “We have a really special niche.”

As for the original duo, Larson retired from the Swing Sisters before she passed away in January, after battling cancer. A page is dedicated to her memory on the Swing Sisters website.

Despite the loss of her friend, Winkler decided to carry on the Swing Sisters with another fellow music lover. Winkler said Enstrasser joined the Swing Sisters about six and a half years ago. Enstrasser is the lead singer and Winkler harmonizes and plays the key board.

“I consider us to be like old fashioned entertainment,” Winkler said. “There are no guitars and drums. In the old days, they did not have that. They just had a piano player and a singer.”

Since then, Winkler and Enstrasser remain dedicated to traveling and performing all over Michiana, sometimes even battling brutal winter weather to do so.

“We like to think of ourselves like the postal service,” Winkler said. “We are there unless we absolutely cannot make it. Like [only] if the roads are closed.”

Winkler said she is looking forward to bringing back a little nostalgia for music from the late 40’s and 50’s era music scene. 

To learn more about the Swing Sisters, visit swing2sisters.com.