ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — This year, Memorial Day will be held on Monday, May 25, 2026, with several official ceremonies honoring fallen soldiers to be held in Western North Carolina. Find the best location for you.
Where are the Memorial Day ceremonies in WNC?
This Memorial Day, there are two primary ceremonies in the Asheville area.
2026 Memorial Day Ceremony at the Western North Carolina State Veterans Cemetery
The largest Memorial Day ceremony in Asheville will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, May 25, at the WNC State Veterans Cemetery, 962 West Old Highway 70, Black Mountain, N.C.
The keynote speaker will be Emiliano Enea, a veteran of the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, and a board member of Brothers and Sisters Like These, a veteran writing group.
Other speakers will include United States Air Force Flight Nurse Monica Blankenship, and Alfredo Hurtado, Iraq War and Afghanistan War veteran, purple heart recipient and co-founder of the Black Box Dance Theater in Raleigh, N.C.
All members of the public are invited to attend. A recording of the ceremony will also be available to view at 3 p.m. on the city of Asheville YouTube channel.
2026 Weaverville Annual Memorial Day Observance
The annual observance of Memorial Day in Weaverville, N.C. will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, May 25 at the Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr., overlooking Lake Louise.
The featured guest speaker at the ceremony will be United States Army Sergeant First Class Donald Funderud, who served in active duty from 1971-73, as well as for two decades in the United States Army Reserves.
In 2017, Funderud received the Wildlife Volunteer of the Year award from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation for his volunteer work leading fishing and wildlife events for his community.
The invocation and benediction for the ceremony will be provided by Reverend Lou Grant of Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
The Asheville Senior Chorus will lead the National Anthem before performing a medley of patriotic music, and a video of a rifle salute by the Weaverville Police Department and taps by the Weaverville Fire Department will be shown.
“Amazing Grace” will be performed live by Howard Dusenbury.