New Salem's October candlelight walk – traditionally a kick-off to the central Illinois fall festival season – will expand to three weekends for 2025 to give visitors more evenings to enjoy the event and to ease congestion at the park.

Dates for this year’s candlelight walk will be Oct. 3-5, Oct. 10-12, and Oct. 17-19. Event hours each night will be 5-7:30 p.m.

During the candlelight walk, the historic village’s pathways are lined with candle lanterns. Site staff and volunteer interpreters dressed in period clothing will be in many of the log homes and shops to talk about life in the original village and in 19th-century Illinois. Building interiors will be candle-lit, and visitors will be able to walk through buildings that are open. Visitors are asked to keep flashlights off while experiencing the village at candlelight.