On the night of September 25, more than 500 people crowded the brick pavers of lower Forest Avenue under a full moon. Band 133 took the stage, and the mayor cut a ribbon with oversized scissors. The plaza had been finished for more than a month by then. Mayor Mark Orgill told the Laguna Beach Independent why the city waited: "We thought that it was an appropriate time to do the ribbon cutting and announce the grand opening of the promenade before we get into the fall and winter months where we start to have hospitality night and some of the other events."
That timing matters. Over the summer, the promenade was one more crowded block in a crowded town. Its first off-season, from now through December, is the first time downtown has a permanent square at its center when the visitor crowds thin out. It also shares that stretch with a new free museum two blocks away, a round of street work, and the biggest holiday night on the city calendar.
A Plan That Took 27 Years
The idea predates the pandemic by decades. Orgill traced it to Vision 2030, a community plan drafted 27 years ago that called for closing Forest Avenue or creating a downtown social space. The 2020 closure began as a pilot to help downtown businesses cope with pandemic restrictions. City officials later pushed to close lower Forest, from Glenneyre Street to Coast Highway, to cars for good.
The approvals came in steps. The Planning Commission approved design review and a Coastal Development Permit on April 2, 2025, and the City Council upheld the approvals on June 11, 2025. The project was appealed to the California Coastal Commission. On August 15, 2025, the Commission found no substantial issue, so the local approvals stood. In January 2026, the council awarded a $5.5 million construction contract to Superb Engineering. The Daily Pilot put the estimated total cost of the conversion at $7.3 million, and the OC Register reported the completed cost as $7.2 million.
Construction had its critics. After a tree fell into the work area, the city removed more trees, citing public safety and insurability, and that decision drew protests this spring. At the dedication, Orgill pointed to the replacement planting: "The trees will grow. It's going to be more beautiful over time."
What's Actually on the Bricks
The design is meant to work in cooler weather and after dark, which suits the off-season. According to the city's project page and the OC Register's July coverage, the finished block includes:
- Brick pavers, permeable surfaces, and trench drains along the length of the plaza
- Custom tables and chairs, with umbrella shade that includes heaters
- New light poles, piped audio, and a fountain and art piece inspired by a kelp forest
- Two specimen oaks and ten 48-inch-box eucalyptus trees in new planting beds
- Wider walkways in front of the shops and designated areas for temporary performances
- Public art by Marlo Bartels, Larry Gill, and Carolyn Reynolds, which the city planned to reinstall
A few pieces were still being finished when the ribbon was cut. At a September 22 council meeting, City Manager Dave Kiff said brickwork was complete at the northern end, with work still underway at the Coast Highway end facing Main Beach. He also said full electrical service for the fountain, audio, and Wi-Fi was expected that week. The city's capital projects page says the remaining elements will be built over the couple of weeks after the September 25 opening.
George Dubin, a local artist and planning commissioner who helped bring the project to completion, described his own routine to the Independent: "I come down here and sit and just enjoy watching the sun go down." Sunsets come earlier from October on, and the heated umbrellas make those evenings more comfortable.
The Businesses That Stayed Open Through Construction
The block's longest-running tenants were part of the celebration. On dedication night, Bushard's Pharmacy marked 80 years and Moulin cafe marked 10, and Moulin staff handed out baked goods to the crowd. Daily Pilot photos from that evening show diners at outdoor tables at Alessa, the Italian restaurant on the promenade. Faherty also has a shop on Forest.
All of these businesses stayed open during construction, while fencing left only narrow walkways around the work zone. This fall is their first stretch since spring without a work zone at the door.
Two Blocks Over, the Surf Museum Is Free
The promenade's timing lined up with a second downtown opening. The Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, or SHACC, opened its new home on Broadway the same week. The collection spent about 20 years in an industrial building in San Clemente, where much of it was out of public view. The museum's new home is a 1939 building that founder Dick Metz chose for its high ceilings, size, parking, and location near the beach.
Inside, surfboards line the walls in a chronological loop, from redwood and pine through balsa and foam to modern boards. The center rows cover competition, surf shops, film, music, and oceanography. Five of the eight known surfboards that Duke Kahanamoku made or rode are here. Metz called them "the crown jewels." The featured exhibit, "PAE KA NALU: Catch the Wave," traces surfing's Hawaiian roots and how they shaped California surfing.
SHACC's visitor page lists free admission, Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays, and the parking lot and main entrance are at 232 Ocean Ave. The building is on Broadway, but visitors should head to the Ocean Avenue entrance.
The Downtown Calendar From Here to December
The next ten weeks bring the promenade's first off-season events along with some street work. These are the dates published so far:
| Dates | What's happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 12 to December | Downtown Zone 4 street overlay and walkway work by CT&T Paving | Downtown corridor |
| Oct. 16, 9 to 10:30 p.m. | SurfFilmMusic Opening Night Post Party | SHACC |
| Oct. 17 to 25 | SHACC open only to Coast Film Festival ticket holders | SHACC |
| Oct. 23 to 25 | Coast Film & Music Festival closing-weekend concerts | Irvine Bowl |
| Oct. 26 to Nov. 2 | Slurry seal with lane and road closures, weather permitting | Zone 4 streets |
| Oct. 29, 7 to 9:30 p.m. | Jeff Divine book launch | SHACC |
| Nov. 20 to Dec. 20, Fri. to Sun. | Sawdust Winter Fantasy | Sawdust Art Festival grounds |
| Dec. 4, about 5 to 9 p.m. | Hospitality Night | Downtown, including the Forest stage |
The Zone 4 project covers slurry sealing, pavement reconstruction, new driveways and walkways, and fresh striping. It will mostly overlap with the quieter weeks, but the slurry-seal window is the one most likely to affect drivers.
During the Coast Film Festival, SHACC's own event listings include a surfboard sale on Oct. 25. Members get in at 8:30 a.m., and the public is admitted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The museum's site also says access from Oct. 17 to 25 is limited to festival ticket holders, so check its events page before going that week.
Getting downtown without a car works on the city's off-season trolley schedule, which runs from Sept. 8, 2026, through June 25, 2027. The free coastal route runs on weekdays and weekends. On the canyon route, parking at Lot 16/Act V on Laguna Canyon Road costs $5, and a free trolley runs downtown from there on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Lot 16 is closed to the public on weekdays.
Hospitality Night Will Be the Promenade's First Big Test
Hospitality Night on Friday, Dec. 4, will be the first event the promenade was designed to host. According to the city's schedule, Anneliese School performs on the Forest Avenue main stage from 6:30 to 6:45 p.m. Susannah B & the Lowkeys and Earl Thomas follow from 7 to 9 p.m. Santa's tree lighting in Peppertree Lot starts at 6:10 p.m. Downtown street closures begin at 3 p.m. and include portions of Forest Avenue. The tentative schedule also lists free trolley and neighborhood on-demand rides from 4 to 11 p.m.
Between now and then, the stage has no published programming. The city's most recent promenade music series ran Fridays through Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., July 10 through August 30, 2026. No fall series has been announced.
Elsewhere in town, two familiar spots are gone. The Deck on Laguna Beach and Driftwood Kitchen closed on Sept. 7 after more than a decade as the Pacific Edge Hotel redevelopment began. The approved plan, as the Independent reported, calls for a new hotel building, underground parking, and a café with outdoor dining. The report does not give a reopening date.
Until the next music series is announced, the dates on Forest Avenue are the Zone 4 street work starting Oct. 12, the slurry-seal closures from Oct. 26 to Nov. 2, and the 3 p.m. street closures on Dec. 4.
A new public square changes how a downtown feels, and over time it can affect how buyers weigh the nearby streets. If you're thinking about how changes on lower Forest Avenue relate to a home you own or one you're considering, Winston West offers a discreet conversation built on close knowledge of Laguna Beach. Schedule a Consultation.
