Buncombe County marks Memorial Day at Western North Carolina veterans cemetery
Asheville and Buncombe County joined state veterans partners at the Black Mountain cemetery, where Emiliano Enea led a Memorial Day observance tied to a long local tradition.
Buncombe County and Asheville marked Memorial Day at the Western North Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, where the region gathered at a place many families already treat as a family grave site and a civic responsibility. The ceremony underscored that remembrance here is not ceremonial window dressing. It is a public duty shared by city, county and state officials.
The event was scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, May 25, 2026, at the cemetery at 962 West Old Highway 70. The City of Asheville joined the State of North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Council and Buncombe County as sponsors, a sign of how deeply the observance is woven into local government and veterans life in western North Carolina.
A local event listing described it as the largest Memorial Day ceremony in Asheville and the western North Carolina area. That framing fit the setting in Black Mountain, where Memorial Day has become one of the region’s central public observances, drawing veterans, families of service members, elected officials and residents who want a formal moment to remember those who died in uniform.
This year’s keynote speaker was Emiliano Enea, a veteran of the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War and a board member of Brothers and Sisters Like These. His role gave the program a direct veteran voice at the center of the ceremony, reinforcing the connection between military service, family memory and public remembrance in Buncombe County.
The Black Mountain ceremony also carried the weight of history. WLOS reported in 2023 that it was the 28th annual Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery. In 2024, dozens gathered there despite rain, and volunteers placed American flags on graves ahead of the holiday. Another report noted that the ceremony has included a wreath-laying, a detail that has helped define the observance as a formal tribute rather than a casual holiday gathering.
For Buncombe County, the Memorial Day ceremony at the state veterans cemetery remains more than a seasonal tradition. It is one of the clearest public expressions of how Asheville and its partners honor military sacrifice, with a shared space in Black Mountain giving that remembrance a visible local home.
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