Denver cemetery hosts free car show Sunday

File this under “events that sound made up but are actually amazing:” this Sunday, more than 500 classic and vintage cars will park among the headstones at one of Denver’s most historic cemeteries, and everyone is invited.

Fairmount Cemetery, the sprawling, park-like burial ground at 430 S. Quebec St. that has been a Denver landmark since 1890, is hosting a free car show on Sunday, Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All types of vehicles are welcome, whether you’re rolling up in a pristine ’67 Mustang or a Subaru Outback with 240,000 miles and a “Native” bumper sticker. The first 300 cars to arrive get a free commemorative license plate. There’ll be food trucks, live music and, for the history buffs, three free mini walking tours of the cemetery at 10, 10:30 and 11 a.m., starting at the Ivy Chapel and limited to 25 people each.

Before you ask: yes, a car show in a cemetery is a little unconventional. But as the organizers put it, cemeteries are really just “beautiful park-like spaces ideal for all sorts of joyous community gatherings,” which is the most politely Denver way to say “the dead won’t mind, and the parking is excellent.”

The event is free to attend, free to enter a car, and requires no registration. Just show up, admire some chrome, eat a taco from a food truck, and maybe learn something about the people buried beneath your feet.