Dana Point's First Holiday Season Without the Wharf

Saturday, October 31, is the last day of business for the shops and restaurants still open on the Dana Point Wharf, and the Wharf closes to the public on Sunday, November 1. Eleven days after that, on Thursday, November 12, the harbor turns on more than 700,000 LED lights. The 2026 displays cover the new harbor entrance, the Island and Bump Out Park near Baby Beach. None of those three sites is the Wharf. This year the holiday season has been rebuilt around the parts of the harbor that stay open through Phase 4 construction, plus the streets just across Golden Lantern. Anyone who still pictures the season starting at the Wharf will be heading for a fenced site.

Who leaves the Wharf on October 31, and who plans to return

On September 15, Wind & Sea closed after 54 years in Dana Point Harbor. Its closing cleared the way for work on Building 1, and Buildings 2 through 5 follow after Halloween. In reporting from Dana Point Times, the remaining tenants' plans ranged from settled to still open:

• Turk's plans to return to the Wharf once construction is done and has been looking at interim spots nearby.
• Golden Galleon Boutique plans to return and was looking for a temporary local location.
• Art Sea Gift Chateau was talking about returning to the finished harbor and weighing temporary sites.
• Frisby Cellars will keep pouring at its Rancho Mission Viejo location during construction. Talks about a harbor return were ongoing.
• Coco Bloom Coffee was reported to be moving to 1500 Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach, with an opening expected this winter.
• Proud Mary's owner was considering another existing restaurant space, but no plan was in place.
• Top Brass and Vintage Yacht Club had no post-closure destination reported.
• Wind & Sea was discussing a possible reimagined concept in the future harbor. No agreement had been finalized.

Several of these plans were still being worked out when they were reported. Until the businesses announce otherwise, treat them as intentions. Turk's has invited customers to come by through its last day. Frisby Cellars is running a Halloween celebration through October 31.

The two businesses that run on the water are staying. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express are moving into temporary trailers next to the harbor parking structure. Whale watching, fishing trips, ferry service and charters will continue without a break. Donna Kalez, Dana Wharf's co-owner and COO, told Dana Point Times, "We're not going to be closed even for a day."

Thanksgiving week starts across Golden Lantern

Dana Marina Plaza sits across Golden Lantern from the harbor, and the revitalization doesn't touch it. This year it's also the base for Thanksgiving's biggest harbor event. The 49th Dana Point Turkey Trot runs Thursday, November 26. Registration, packet pickup and the expo are at the corner of Dana Point Harbor Drive and Golden Lantern, 25001 Dana Point Harbor Drive. Packet pickup takes place in the Dana Marina Plaza parking lot. The Dana Point Chamber of Commerce is promoting the race. This year's charity partners are Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley and the RH Dana Elementary School Booster Club.

Wednesday, November 25, shows how close together everything sits now. The Dana Point Harbor Certified Farmers Market is scheduled that day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., behind and inside the parking structure. Packet pickup opens across the street at noon and runs until 6 p.m. For one hour, you can pick up produce for Thursday and a race bib in the same short walk.

Thanksgiving morning runs on this schedule, according to the official race information:

1. 5:30 a.m. Free shuttles start from Dana Hills High School at 33333 Golden Lantern and from the Costco at 33961 Doheny Park Road in San Juan Capistrano. They drop off at Del Prado and Golden Lantern near Ralph's and run until 12:15 p.m.
2. 6 to 11 a.m. Race-day packet pickup is open.
3. 7 a.m. The 10K starts.
4. 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. The 5K waves start. The costume contest is at 9.
5. 10 a.m. The 5K Family Walk/Run starts.
6. 10:30 a.m. The Kids' 1-mile Gobble Wobble starts, for ages 2 to 12.

Visit Dana Point gives an earlier end time for the Dana Hills shuttle, 11:15 a.m. The race's own pages say 12:15 p.m. Check again the week of the race. If you're driving, the race lists the harbor parking structure at 799 Harbor Way, street parking on Del Prado, and City public lots in the Lantern District. There's also a free e-bike corral in the harbor lot. The race hasn't published a 2026 street-by-street closure schedule, and last year's Golden Lantern access times shouldn't be assumed for this year.

The race FAQ marks the 10 a.m. Family Walk/Run as new this year and describes the Adult Gobble Buddy. A parent or other adult can be added to a child's mile entry and gets a bib and medal, though the adult isn't timed. Early-bird pricing has ended. Regular entry is $54 for the 10K, $48 for the 5K or the family walk/run, $63 for the 15K combo and $25 for the Gobble Wobble, and registration stays open through race day.

The parking structure becomes the harbor's hub

The farmers market moved to the parking structure, and the Dana Wharf and Catalina Express trailers sit next to it. The harbor's new holiday night market is there too. Harbor After Dark, Holiday Edition, put together with Modern Makers Mart, runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on select Thursdays. The harbor hasn't posted the specific dates yet. The market will have rotating food trucks and seasonal drinks from Coco Bloom Coffee. That puts a Wharf coffee bar back at the harbor during the same season it moves its storefront to Newport Beach.

The structure is also the easy place to park. Parking inside is free for up to four hours, with pedestrian access to the harbor. Stay on the posted walkways. Along with the landside work, the Army Corps of Engineers is repairing the west breakwater and dredging.

December moves to the Island

Several December events gather on the Island, many near the Richard Henry Dana Jr. statue. Others go out on the water from operators that kept running through construction, and two sit off the Island, at the Fishing Pier and in the Lantern District.

Visit Dana Point gives January 7 as the end of the harbor lights period. The harbor's Happy Harbor Days page says January 10. If you want to see the lights in the last week, check first. The Makers Mart is pet- and kid-friendly. For Little Folk Club, the harbor suggests dressing festive and bringing blankets or chairs. The City of Dana Point lists the La Plaza Park tree lighting as free. In its holiday guide, Visit Dana Point says Santa's Jolly Trolley will make stops around town that same Saturday.

Watching the parade with one side of the harbor fenced

The Boat Parade of Lights, themed "Dana Point's Harboritaville," runs Friday through Sunday, December 11 to 13, starting at 6:30 p.m. each night. The harbor says you can watch from the Island park areas or the boardwalk, or book a parade charter with Dana Wharf or Capt. Dave's. It also warns that the cruises sell out. The boats loop through the harbor. In its parade guide, Visit Dana Point suggests the walkways near Baby Beach and around Island Way, and the bluff at Lantern Bay Park for a view of the whole harbor. It says weekend nights draw the biggest crowds. Dana Point Harbor Partners says boardwalk access is being kept open, but the walk past the closed Wharf buildings may not match past years.

The Ocean Institute is staying open through construction. It's hosting a viewing party from 6 to 9 p.m. with live music and hot cocoa. A $45 premier option adds small-group viewing from the Maddie James Seaside Learning Center over the water, plus access to the replica tall ship Spirit of Dana Point. The Institute's R/V Sea Explorer joins the parade itself, with tickets at $65 for children and adults. Dana Wharf runs 90-minute parade cruises at 6:30 each night.

The same boats run whale-watching trips. Dana Wharf lists gray whales from November through May. Capt. Dave's says the best viewing is December through May, with whales sometimes seen as early as November. A morning trip and an evening parade cruise can both leave from the trailers by the parking structure on the same weekend.

If the Wharf closing has you thinking about what the finished harbor will mean for your corner of Dana Point, Winston West can talk through the construction timeline with you. Schedule a Consultation whenever it suits you this season.