In 1971, while the original Dana Point Harbor was still being built, Don Hansen started a sportfishing business out of a trailer. Fifty-five years later his daughter, Donna Kalez, co-owns Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. In November the business moves back into a trailer, this time parked beside the harbor parking structure. She called it "a full-circle moment" in an interview with The Log.
The trailer is the best picture of what happens to the harbor this winter. Dana Point Harbor Partners plans to close the Wharf to the public on November 1, 2026, and every business there has to stop operating by October 31. The restaurants and gift shops go behind a fence. What stays open is the working harbor: the boats, the fuel, the bait, the ferry, the farmers market and the winter calendar that has always centered on the water. For about the next year and a half, Dana Point Harbor will look a lot like it did when it opened.
Three Weeks Left on the Old Wharf
Wind & Sea was the first to go. Its last day was September 15, which cleared Building 1 for abatement and demolition. Buildings 2 through 5 stay open through October 31.
For anyone who wants a last meal or a last drink on the old Wharf, here is where things stand:
- Turk's is open daily through October 31 and, as the Dana Point Times reports, has asked regulars to come by before it closes. The owners hope to return to the harbor and are looking at local options.
- Frisby Cellars & Brewing keeps its regular events going until it closes: Wags & Wine, Taco Tuesday and live music on Sundays. Halloween night is its "Last Boorah," 5 to 9 p.m., with a DJ, a costume contest, wine, beer and food.
- Culture Pizza is running a short Wharf pop-up on select Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through October.
- Proud Mary's and Top Brass are both expected to close October 31.
- Golden Galleon has invited shoppers in for its end-of-summer sale. It is looking for a temporary storefront nearby and says it plans to come back to the harbor.
Only two businesses have a confirmed next stop. Frisby will keep pouring at its Rancho Mission Viejo tasting room, about nine miles from the harbor, and Dana Point wine-club benefits carry over there. Coco Bloom Coffee has left its temporary harbor storefront and plans to open a café this winter at 1500 W. Balboa Blvd. in Newport Beach. Art Sea Gift Chateau, Wind & Sea, Turk's, Golden Galleon and Frisby are all still talking with the harbor's leasing team about spaces in the finished project. Vintage Yacht Club is looking at relocation options nearby.
What the Fence Line Leaves Out
The fence goes around the Wharf's buildings, not the water. Harbor Partners told The Log that "access to harbor businesses located outside of The Wharf will remain uninterrupted," and that the Embarcadero, launch ramp, fuel dock and bait barge "will not be impacted by the Wharf landside construction." The harbor's July construction update says the new fence line keeps the public boardwalk and boater dock access open.
Here is where the things a resident actually uses will be after November 1:
| What | Status after Nov. 1 | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching | Open, trips seven days a week | Temporary trailer next to the parking structure |
| Catalina Express | Open, trips seven days a week | Temporary trailer next to the parking structure |
| Excursion parking | Four free hours, subject to availability | Level 3 of the parking structure |
| Certified Farmers Market | Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Surface lot next to the parking structure |
| Embarcadero, launch ramp, fuel dock, bait barge | Not affected | Their usual locations |
| Ocean Institute | Open to the public weekends, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Outside the construction zone |
| Dana Point Yacht Club, Dana West Yacht Club, Aventura Sailing Association, Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari, Pure Watersports | Access continues | Outside the construction zone |
On weekdays, the Ocean Institute closes to the public and hosts school field trips. Baby Beach and the recreation and parking areas next to it are run by OC Parks, not by Harbor Partners, so they fall outside the commercial lease. There is one more thing to know if you are on the water. The Army Corps of Engineers is repairing the west breakwater and dredging, and the harbor asks boaters to slow down, keep their distance and follow directions from crews on site. For a fuller picture of slips, storage and harbor communities, see our boater's guide to Dana Point Harbor.
Two caveats. As of October 10, the trailers for Dana Wharf and Catalina Express have been announced, but no source confirms they are set up and open yet. The harbor's own dining directory also still lists the Wharf restaurants with no closing notes, so it won't help you find dinner after Halloween.
Winter Has Always Been the Working Harbor's Season
Closing the Wharf just before the holidays could look like bad timing. The harbor's biggest cold-weather events have never needed a gift shop, though. They need the water, the shoreline and the boats, and the fence leaves all three open. Here is the fall and winter calendar:
- Saturday, October 17: Surf Queenie of Doheny. A free surf contest from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Doheny State Beach, with a vendor village and a charity raffle for the Doheny State Beach Foundation.
- Saturday, October 24: Halloween Spooktacular and Trunk or Treat. The city's free afternoon event runs 1:30 to 5 p.m. at the Community Center.
- Sunday, November 1: Día de los Muertos. The same day the Wharf closes, the city holds a free celebration at La Plaza Park from 2 to 7 p.m., with ofrendas, live music, dance, crafts and food.
- Thursday, November 26: The 49th Dana Point Turkey Trot. The 10K starts at 7 a.m., the 5Ks go off at 8:30, 9:30 and 10 a.m., and the kids' mile is at 10:30. Free shuttles run from Dana Hills High School to Del Prado and Golden Lantern from 5:30 to 11:15 a.m. There is street parking on Del Prado, the city lots in the Lantern District are open, and there is an e-bike corral in the harbor parking lot.
- Friday, November 27: Gray whale season begins. Dana Wharf's rule is that gray whale season starts the day after Thanksgiving and typically runs through the end of April. The company runs whale-watching trips all year.
- December 5 and 7: Tree lightings. La Plaza Park lights its tree Saturday, December 5, and Pines Park follows Monday, December 7. Both are free and run 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Santa's Jolly Trolley visits parks around town on December 5.
- December 11 to 13: The 51st Harbor Boat Parade of Lights. This year's theme is "Harboritaville." The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. each night, and the harbor lists the boardwalk and parkscapes as public viewing areas. Dana Wharf has a parade cruise on December 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Seating is limited and some passengers may have to stand.
Put the Turkey Trot shuttle route next to the Día de los Muertos location and a pattern shows up. Both point people uphill to Del Prado, Golden Lantern and La Plaza Park, which is the part of town where this year's new restaurants opened. The White Rooster held its ribbon cutting January 16 in the former Doheny Cafe space at 34320 Pacific Coast Highway. Bon Appétit Bistro, Cafe & Bakery opened in early February at 24501 Del Prado. Shelter Distilling opened July 1 at Del Prado and Golden Lantern, in the old StillWater Spirits & Sounds space. We covered the start of that shift in our summer piece on the harbor moving uphill. On November 1 it stops being a trend and becomes the only option, because a morning on the water no longer ends with lunch on the Wharf.
As of early October, the 2026 Turkey Trot course map is still listed as "coming soon," so start and finish locations near the construction zone haven't been published.
What Gets Built Behind the Fence, and What Is Still Undecided
Phase 4 rebuilds the Wharf as about 20,000 square feet of new waterfront buildings, with eight new tenants and up to four returning ones, plus landscaped seating areas, public art and space for community events. Harbor Partners wants all of it to open together rather than one building at a time, with new storefronts open before the LA28 Summer Olympics. The whole commercial core covers about 120,000 square feet across five phases and will end up with 12 multi-tenant buildings.
No new tenants have been named yet. Harbor Partners' own commercial-core page says it has not announced any business names.
The two hotels are also on hold. The proposed Dana House and Surf Lodge need revised ground leases, and on August 25 the Orange County Board of Supervisors deadlocked on them, according to the Orange County Register. We found no later vote. In the meantime, the Dana Point Marina Inn is open and taking reservations through December 2026.
The water side is further along. Marina Phase 12 opened for occupancy September 14, Phase 13 is scheduled to start this fall, and the 15-phase dock replacement is more than four-fifths complete. The marina is still scheduled to finish by the end of 2027. The official construction schedule is the page to check for phase changes as the winter goes on.
If the harbor's long rebuild has you weighing how a waterfront address like yours fits into the next few years, the Carter Kaufman Team follows Dana Point Harbor's construction phases closely and can show you what each one means for homes nearby. Book an appointment and we'll walk you through it.
