Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027: the ceremony at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, trash pickup a day late, pools and what is open.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the City of Asheville’s 2026 Memorial Day notice and holiday collection schedule. City of Asheville customer service: 828-251-1122.

Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. The main local observance is the public ceremony at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain, about 13 miles east, which the City of Asheville sponsors with Buncombe County, the state and the Veterans Council. City offices close, trash pickup slides a day, and the long weekend is when the outdoor pools open. The city posts its 2027 notice about a week ahead; until then the details below are from 2026, marked as such.

What this means for you

  • No trash, recycling or brush pickup on Memorial Day: put your cart out one day later than usual that week.
  • Central Business District customers keep their Wednesday morning pickup.
  • City offices and community center buildings are closed; parks, greenways and Splasheville are open.

The Memorial Day ceremony

In 2026 the ceremony began at 10 a.m. Monday, May 25, at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 962 Old U.S. 70, Black Mountain. The keynote speaker was Iraq and Afghanistan combat veteran Emiliano Enea, and the public was invited, according to the city’s announcement. The city posted a recording on the City of Asheville YouTube channel at 3 p.m. the same day. The ceremony honors military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces.

The 2027 ceremony time and speakers will be added here when the city announces them.

Trash and recycling

Customers Memorial Day week (2026 pattern)
Monday customers Collected Tuesday
Tuesday customers Collected Wednesday
Wednesday customers Collected Thursday
Thursday customers Collected Friday
Central Business District Regular Wednesday morning pickup

That is the city’s rule for a Monday holiday on its 2026 holiday collection schedule: no collection on the holiday, then every route one day late. The Sanitation office is also closed. The free AVL Collects app sends reminders. More on our trash and recycling page.

What is open and closed

On Memorial Day 2026, the city said:

  • City offices and the Parking Services office were closed.
  • ART buses ran the holiday schedule, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ART: 828-253-5691).
  • Parks and greenways were open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Community center buildings were closed; playgrounds, picnic areas and courts next to them were open.
  • Grant Southside Center pool was open, with $3 admission, and Splasheville in Pack Square Park ran its regular 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. hours.
  • WNC Nature Center (10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Aston Park Tennis Center (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and the municipal golf course (7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.) kept normal hours.
  • Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville was closed.
  • Riverside Cemetery offices were closed; the grounds were open until 8 p.m.
  • Police, fire and 911 ran normal 24-hour schedules. Water emergencies: 828-251-1122.

Pools open for the season

Memorial Day weekend is pool opening weekend. In 2026 the city pool at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St., and Buncombe County’s five outdoor pools opened Saturday, May 23, then ran weekends only until early June, according to the city. Full schedules, splash pads and summer camps: summer in Asheville.

Coming up

Frequently asked questions

When is Memorial Day 2027?

Monday, May 31, 2027.

Where is the Asheville Memorial Day ceremony?

The City of Asheville, Buncombe County, the state and the Veterans Council hold it at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain. In 2026 it began at 10 a.m. and was open to the public.

Is there trash pickup on Memorial Day in Asheville?

No. In 2026 the city collected no trash, recycling or brush on Memorial Day and ran every route one day late that week, except the Central Business District, which kept its Wednesday morning pickup.

Do Asheville buses run on Memorial Day?

Yes, on the holiday schedule. In 2026 ART buses ran from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Memorial Day.

When do Asheville pools open?

The city pool at the Grant Southside Center and the five Buncombe County outdoor pools opened Saturday, May 23, 2026, the start of Memorial Day weekend. Admission at the city pool was $3.