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NILES — A popular concert series that has delighted crowds in downtown Niles will soon be coming to an end for good.

Niles Music and More, a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting local artists exposure and bringing entertainment to Niles Riverfront Park, has announced that its annual summer concert series will not return in 2025 after six years of concerts.

“It was not an easy decision,” said Niles Music and More founder and Executive Director Caryn Adler.

The concert series will conclude following the Sept. 8 performance of acapella group Luminos and the nonprofit will be dissolved at the conclusion of the tax year. The Niles Summer Concert Series was founded in 2018 to fill the void of musical events at Riverfront Park and Niles Music and More formed as a nonprofit in 2019, opening access to grants and more. Adler said the primary reason the series will not return is because its goals to provide free family-friendly entertainment and promote local bands have largely been accomplished.

“There’s a lot of music stuff springing up in Niles,” she said. “We have Souldier and the Groove Music School and we have the Underground Laugh Lounge’s outdoor patio for music. Some indoor venues have live music and the festivals are back with three days, four days of music sometimes. Looking back, I just realize that we’ve accomplished all the goals that we set out in the very beginning.”

Adler said each summer concert acts as a fundraiser for other nonprofits located in the 49120 zip code, with each band choosing a Niles nonprofit to share the billing slot with. Adler has a list of active 501c3 nonprofits from the area, ranging from focus on the arts to children in need, to seniors and healthcare. According to Adler, the concert series has raised more than $35,000.

“Our vision was to improve the lives of people in Niles,” she said. “We could do it easier as a group coming together than one person trying to raise money for each of those. The bands love it because they love being a part of improving the quality of life for people in Niles and so they really get behind that.”

Adler has shepherded the nonprofit and its concert series from the beginning and acknowledged the work it takes to keep it afloat.

“There’s so much work to do behind the scenes. It’s not just sitting there in my rocking chair listening to good music,” said Niles Music and More founder Caryn Adler. “I lug everything around in my car. I have a room in my house that has a thousand ornaments stored in there. As much as I loved it and the people loved it, I know I’m letting down people that come regularly and couldn’t afford to go to Katmandu concerts. I really am hoping that someone sees the value in doing this and brings in a younger generation, which was our goal.”

One of the highlights of the series took place Saturday, July 27 with the Katmandu concert. Bolstered by the annual Burn Run taking place in town, the concert drew more than 500 people.

“It was just so amazing,” Adler said. “I thought, ‘what a way to go out.’”

With five concerts remaining on the schedule, Adler looks forward to making more memories and hopes the community will turn out for good music for good causes.

“You look at national news, political news, world news and it’s kind of a downer,” she said. “I want people to have a couple hours where they can get away and forget all that stuff and they sit on the river and they may bring something to eat and they meet up with friends and escape, a wonderful relaxing escape to be able to come to the concert.”

The remainder of the 2024 Summer Concert Series schedule is as follows. All concerts begin at 6 p.m.:

Sunday, Aug. 11 – Lake Effect Jazz Big Band (Jazz)

Sunday, Aug. 18 –  Zane’s Way (Baby boomer oldies, 60s and 70s)

Sunday, Aug. 25 – Tim Dudley (Elvis Tribute Hall of Fame Artist)

Sunday, Sept. 1 – PT and The Cruisers (Blues based rock, Classic oldies)

Sunday, Sept. 8 – Luminos (Acapella)