Government shutdown cancels Calverton National Cemetery Veterans Day ceremony

The Calverton National Cemetery annual Veterans Day Ceremony has been cancelled this year due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Both the Support Committee for the Calverton National Cemetery and the Calverton National Cemetery itself made announcements on social media, which stated the lapse in funding did not give the cemetery time to prepare the grounds and procure necessary assets to put on a proper ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Even if the government shutdown ended soon, the committee said there still would not be enough time.

“We are sorry to miss an opportunity to come together on Veterans Day to express our heartfelt gratitude to our nation’s Veterans for their service and sacrifice,” the statement read. “We hope you all find a meaningful way to pay tribute to our Veterans on November 11, 2025, and hope to see you on May 25, 2026, for our Memorial Day Ceremony.”

The Calverton cemetery is still open to visitors during daylight hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is the federal agency that operates Calverton National Cemetery and it is one of the largest, most active national cemeteries currently overseen by the National Cemetery Administration.

The government shutdown means no grounds maintenance or placement of permanent headstones can take place at VA cemeteries, according to the department’s website.

Burials, however, will continue at VA national cemeteries, as well as applications for headstones, markers, and burial benefits processing. There are nearly 300,000 gravesites, and up to 7,000 burials at the Calverton cemetery each year.

This is a developing story.