Christmas Honors Announces 18th Annual Wreath Tribute at Fort Smith National Cemetery
Community Invited to Help Honor More Than 16,000 Veterans at Fort Smith National Cemetery
This December, thousands of wreaths will once again transform the Fort Smith National Cemetery into a powerful display of remembrance as Christmas Honors marks its 18th annual community tribute to our nation’s veterans.
Christmas Honors invites families, friends, businesses, civic organizations, churches and volunteers from across the Fort Smith region to take part in this meaningful tradition. Together, the community will place a wreath at each of the more than 16,000 headstones at the Fort Smith National Cemetery — honoring the service, sacrifice and legacy represented by every name.
For the families whose loved ones are laid to rest at the cemetery, the event is much more than a holiday tradition. It is a visible reminder that their loved ones are remembered and that their service to our country continues to be honored.
Christmas Honors began in 2009 with a simple but meaningful mission: to ensure that the veterans laid to rest at the Fort Smith National Cemetery are never forgotten. During that first year, more than 1,000 volunteers helped place wreaths on approximately 12,000 headstones. Today, the tradition has grown to honor more than 16,000 veterans and their families.
2026 WREATH WORKSHOP & ASSEMBLY
Friday, December 4, 2026
8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Fort Smith Convention Center — Hall C
- Volunteers will gather to prepare and assemble the thousands of wreaths that will be placed at the cemetery the following day.
- Trucks and trailers are especially needed to help transport wreaths from the Convention Center to the cemetery.
18TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS HONORS WREATH EVENT
Saturday, December 5, 2026
Fort Smith National Cemetery
- 8:00–10:30 a.m. | Family Time
This time is reserved for families to privately place wreaths at the headstones of their loved ones. The public is respectfully asked to honor this special time for families. - 11:00 a.m. | Public Ceremony
The community ceremony will begin at the cemetery pavilion. - Approximately 11:30 a.m. | Community Wreath Laying
Immediately following the ceremony, volunteers will be invited to help place wreaths on all remaining headstones throughout the cemetery.
JANUARY WREATH PICKUP & STORAGE
The community’s help is needed again in January to remove and prepare the wreaths for storage.
- Wednesday, January 6, 2027
Wreath Pickup at the Fort Smith National Cemetery - Thursday, January 7, 2027
Wreath Pack-Up at the Fort Smith Convention Center
Trucks and trailers are needed to assist with transporting wreaths during the January pickup.
No act is too small. Whether someone assembles wreaths, provides a truck or trailer, volunteers on event day, makes a financial contribution or simply comes to the cemetery to place a wreath, every participant helps continue a tradition of gratitude and remembrance.
HELP CONTINUE THE TRADITION
Christmas Honors relies on the generosity, time and talents of individuals, families, businesses and organizations throughout the region. Financial gifts, volunteer service and in-kind donations all play an important role in making this annual tribute possible.
Ways to support Christmas Honors:
• Donate by mail: Christmas Honors, P.O. Box 10696, Fort Smith, AR 72917
• Donate online: Visit ChristmasHonors.org and select “Donate.”
• Volunteer: Opportunities include the Wreath Workshop, wreath laying, event-day activities, trucks and trailers, promotional support and other areas.
• Give in-kind: Needed goods and services help offset the costs of carrying out the annual event.
Christmas Honors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and eligible donations are tax deductible.
Since 2009, Christmas Honors has brought the community together around one enduring purpose: to remember those who served, honor their sacrifice and show their families that their loved ones will not be forgotten.
For additional information, volunteer opportunities and ways to support the mission, visit ChristmasHonors.org or follow Christmas Honors on Facebook @ChristmasHonors.
ABOUT CHRISTMAS HONORS
Christmas Honors is a Fort Smith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring veterans and their families through remembrance, gratitude and community service. Each December, volunteers transform the Fort Smith National Cemetery by placing wreaths at more than 16,000 headstones, creating a powerful tribute to the men and women whose service and sacrifice have helped protect the freedoms Americans cherish
Christmas Honors
P.O. Box 10696
Fort Smith, AR 72917
479-926-0939
