Evening of Illumination at Old Sturbridge Village
Candlelight and fire shaped family gatherings after dark in early New England. During the Evening of Illumination, visitors tour the historic Village by lantern and oil lamp, entering homes and shops around the Common to experience evenings before electricity. Narratives from the years following the American Revolution, household trades, and early nineteenth-century work routines are presented alongside artifacts, music, and artisans demonstrating their crafts by the glow of flame. Warm drinks at the Bullard Tavern conclude the evening with period-appropriate hospitality.
