‘Not the venue for it’: Car show at Union County cemetery disappoints families

WEDDINGTON, N.C. — A sign advertising a car show at a cemetery is raising eyebrows in Union County.

Families of loved ones buried at Forest Lawn East Cemetery say it’s disrespectful to host an event at a place that’s considered to be sacred ground. Channel 9’s Gina Esposito brought their concerns to the cemetery’s owner on Wednesday, and we learned the organizers have now canceled the event.

To Nancy Hare, Forest Lawn East should be a place of peace and reverence. It’s where her mom visits her father, who is buried there.

“She chose a spot near the road so we could pull her up in the car and she wouldn’t have to get up, but when she does, she can sit on that bench,” Hare told Esposito. “We all sit there and think about him, relive memories, have a little talk with him.”

Hare says she was shocked owners started advertising a car show at the cemetery for August 16. The event was planned for a grassy area in a new part of the cemetery.

“We find it disrespectful that they are promoting it as family fun and horsepower and good vibes and food and prizes,“ Hare said. ”It’s just not the venue for it."

Hare says other families shared their distaste with the event on social media. When Esposito brought those complaints to the managing partner of Forst Lawn East, he claimed he hadn’t received any complaints.

“Forest Lawn East intended to host a neighborhood outreach event with the goal of fostering connection and engagement in our community. While no initial feedback was received related to us hosting this event, we are now listening closely to the concerns that have been expressed from those in our community,” Robert Murphy, managing partner with the cemetery, said in a statement to Channel 9. “We assure that no disrespect was intended, and in light of the current response, we will meaningfully reevaluate our plans for this event to ensure it aligns with the values and expectations of our community. We appreciate the recent feedback and open dialogue and remain committed to the families we serve and being a good community partner.”

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Hare says their response is a good first step.

“I would like for them to cancel it inside the cemetery. I don’t have a problem with them doing it at a vendor market or someplace else, but behind those gates, I think it needs to be kept sacred,” Hare said.

Late Wednesday, Channel 9 learned that the Eventbrite listing for the event showed that the car show was now canceled. We’re reaching out to organizers with Forest Lawn East for more details.

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