The Wharf closes to the public on November 1. That leaves Dana Point Harbor without its usual holiday center for the first time, and the harbor's own calendar has rebuilt the season around two other places. The first is the parking structure at the corner of Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive. The second is the Island across the water. Whale watching, the Catalina boat, a new Thursday night market and the Wednesday farmers market all now cluster around the structure, and most of the lights and big events move to the Island.
If your idea of a harbor evening has been dinner on the Wharf followed by the lights, the order changes this year. You'll park at the structure, and the evening starts there.
The Old Wharf's Last Days
The official construction schedule sets Saturday, October 31 as the last business day for the restaurants and retailers in Wharf Buildings 2 through 5. Wind & Sea already closed on September 15 so Building 1 work could start. The Dana Point Times reported that the closure begins Phase 4 of the $600 million Harbor Revitalization Project.
Two of the businesses closing on the 31st have been in the harbor longer than many residents have lived in town. Turk's has been there since 1984 and Proud Mary's since 1977. Turk's owner told the Dana Point Times:
"Our team will be pouring and serving daily through Oct. 31 on the Wharf."
Here is where each departing tenant stood in that reporting:
- Turk's plans to come back to the Wharf after construction and is looking at other local options until then.
- Proud Mary's closes October 31. Its owner said he might reopen elsewhere if he finds an existing restaurant space. No plan was in place.
- Frisby Cellars keeps serving at its Rancho Mission Viejo location, where Dana Point wine club members will keep their benefits. Its Wharf Halloween celebration runs through October 31.
- Golden Galleon Boutique was looking for temporary local space and intends to return to the harbor.
- Art Sea Gift Chateau remained in talks about returning. Top Brass was expected to close October 31.
None of them had named a new address at the time of that report. For now, the only Wharf nights left are the ones before Halloween.
The Structure Becomes the Front Door
The parking structure at 799 Harbor Way was built to solve the harbor's parking problem. This winter it does more than that. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express move into temporary trailers beside the structure, and the harbor says excursions continue seven days a week. The harbor's parking page tells customers of both companies to park on the third level, not in the surface lot.
The structure's rates stay the same. The first four hours are free. After that it costs $6 an hour, up to $24 a day, and special event rates may apply. Four free hours cover a market visit and a walk along the lights. A sunset dinner, the parade and a nightcap can run past that.
Construction doesn't close off the water. During active work the harbor keeps the pedestrian boardwalk and boater dock access open. The Log reported in July that businesses outside the Wharf would see no interruption. It named Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari, Ocean Institute, Pure Watersports, Dana Point Yacht Club, Dana West Yacht Club and Aventura Sailing Association among those outside the construction zone. The same report listed the Farmers Market as continuing Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the surface lot beside the structure.
The newest addition is aimed at evenings. Harbor After Dark, Holiday Edition is what the harbor calls an all-new holiday night market, run with Modern Makers Mart. It's held at the parking structure from 4 to 8 p.m. on select Thursdays, with rotating food trucks and seasonal drinks from Coco Bloom Coffee. The harbor's event listings give four dates: November 12, November 19, December 3 and December 10. The first one falls on the night the holiday lights come on.
The Island Holds the Rest of the Season
This season's busiest stretch runs from the new harbor entrance across the Island to Bump Out Park near Baby Beach.
Dana Point Harbor Partners' Happy Harbor Days display uses more than 700,000 LED lights and turns on Thursday, November 12. The 2026 displays run along the new harbor entrance, the Island and Bump Out Park. They include the whale sculpture, the harbor VW bus and Merry Kiss Me™. Bump Out Park gets an earlier turn on Saturday, November 7, the new date for Dogapalooza after it was postponed.
The 51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights runs December 11 through 13 at 6:30 p.m. each night, with the theme "Dana Point's HARBORITAVILLE." The harbor lists the Island park areas and the boardwalk as public viewing spots. It also points to parade charters from Dana Wharf and Captain Dave's, and warns that the cruises sell out.
Most of December's smaller events gather around the Richard Henry Dana Jr. statue on the Island:
- Santa Paws with Pet Project Foundation, December 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The harbor's holiday page also lists December 13. Pet photos with Santa and the harbor VW bus cost a $15 donation.
- Little Folk Club, December 19, with holiday music and photo ops. Bring a blanket or chairs.
- Modern Makers Mart: Holiday Edition, Saturday, December 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with more than 50 vendors, live music and kids' crafts. It's pet- and kid-friendly.
Across the water, a 12-foot menorah from Chabad Jewish Center of Dana Point lights up at the Dana Point Fishing Pier from December 14 through December 22.
On the Water, Run From the Trailers
Dana Wharf is operating out of its temporary trailers beside the parking structure this season. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching runs Harbor Holiday Lights Cruises on December 4, 5, 18 and 19, so you can see the displays from the water. Its Boat Rides with Santa go out aboard the Dana Pride on December 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are required, and proceeds go to Soroptimist of Capistrano Bay.
The gray whales also start passing around this time. Whale watching goes on all year in Dana Point. According to Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari, migrating gray whales pass between November and May, with the best chances from late November to mid-May.
How the Harbor Calendar Lines Up With Town
The harbor's new schedule overlaps with the City's events in a few useful places. On November 1, the first day the Wharf is closed, the City holds its Día de los Muertos celebration at La Plaza Park. On November 19, the harbor night market and the Lantern District's Gratitude Market run at the same time, 4 to 8 p.m.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Halloween Spooktacular & Trunk or Treat, 1:30–5 p.m. | 34052 Del Obispo Street |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Last business day for Wharf Buildings 2–5 | The Wharf |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | Día de los Muertos, 2–7 p.m. | La Plaza Park, 34111 La Plaza |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Dogapalooza | Bump Out Park |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Lights on, plus first Harbor After Dark | Island, entrance and parking structure |
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Harbor After Dark, and Gratitude Market, both 4–8 p.m. | Parking structure; Amber Lantern and Prado Square |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | 49th Turkey Trot | Dana Point Harbor |
| Thu., Dec. 3 and 10 | Harbor After Dark, 4–8 p.m. | Parking structure |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Santa's Jolly Trolley and tree lighting | La Plaza Park |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | Tree lighting | Pines Park |
| Dec. 11–13 | Boat Parade of Lights, 6:30 p.m. | Island and boardwalk viewing |
The City's free Halloween Spooktacular and Día de los Muertos both run a trolley shuttle. The Dana Point Times fall events roundup lists the Gratitude Market as hosted by The Ecology Center, the City and Prado Square. The Dana Point Chamber of Commerce's Turkey Trot offers a 5K, a 10K, a combined 15K and the Kids' 1-Mile Gobble Wobble. The tree lightings come from the City's approved 2026 events calendar, so check the details closer to the date.
Work on the water continues while the Wharf closes. The Marina at Dana Point opened Phase 12 for occupancy on September 14, and the harbor says the 15-phase marina project is more than four-fifths complete, with Phase 13 starting this fall. For anyone who wants one more Wharf night, Turk's and Proud Mary's are open through Saturday, October 31.
If you've lived near the harbor through these construction years and want to know how the Commercial Core work fits into your own plans, Colin Farris knows this harbor well and is glad to talk it through over coffee. Let's Connect.
