"We're not going to be closed even for a day," Donna Kalez told the Dana Point Times this summer. She's co-owner and COO of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, which celebrated its 55th anniversary on June 18 as the longest-running business in Dana Point Harbor. She was talking about a move. When the Wharf buildings close to the public on November 1, 2026, her offices go into a temporary trailer beside the harbor parking structure, and the boats keep leaving on schedule.
That move shows how the harbor will work for the next year. The commercial strip closes. The working harbor stays open, including everything that goes out on the water, the public edges along the water and the community calendar. And all of it is shifting toward one building at the corner of Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive. It opened as a parking garage in July 2025. This winter it's where most of the harbor's activity starts.
The Wharf's last day is Saturday, October 31
Under the harbor operator's construction schedule, Phase 4 starts this fall. Wind & Sea closed first, on September 15, so work on Building 1 could begin. Buildings 2 through 5 follow, and the remaining Wharf restaurants and shops end business on October 31. Wind & Sea had been in the harbor for 54 years.
Today is Saturday, October 10, which leaves three more weekends plus Halloween itself. Here's where each tenant said it was headed as of the most recent reporting:
| Business | Plans reported after the Wharf closes |
|---|---|
| Wind & Sea | Owner has discussed a possible reimagined concept in the future Boathouse; no agreement finalized |
| Turk's | Hopes to return to the rebuilt Wharf; exploring local options in the meantime |
| Golden Galleon | Looking for a temporary local location; intends to return |
| Proud Mary's | Owner considering another existing restaurant space; no plan in place |
| Vintage Yacht Club | Exploring local relocation options |
| Frisby Cellars | Continuing at its Rancho Mission Viejo tasting room; return talks ongoing |
| Coco Bloom Coffee | Opening at 1500 W. Balboa Blvd. in Newport Beach this winter |
| Top Brass | Expected to cease Wharf operations |
| Art Sea Gift Chateau | Open through October 31 |
None of the businesses still looking had announced a new address in the reporting we reviewed, so treat any rumor of a specific storefront as unconfirmed until the owners announce it. Before then, the harbor's events listing shows a storewide sale at Golden Galleon, and Art Sea's 50 percent off sale runs through 10/31. On weekends, Culture Pizza's "Culture on the Coast" pop-up in the former Jon's Fish Market space is advertised through the end of October. It's a temporary run, not a permanent opening.
This is the second wave of closures in 2026. Dana Point Harbor Partners had already announced that Beach Harbor Pizza, Village Market, Bella Bazaar and The Brig would leave their Harbor Village spaces at the end of April as Phases 3 and 5 moved forward.
Everything that leaves the dock keeps running
Here's what makes this closure different from the ones before it. The Wharf businesses that actually take people out on the water aren't pausing. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express move to temporary trailers next to the parking structure. The operator says they'll run excursions seven days a week, and the Dana Point Times reported that whale watching, fishing trips, the Catalina ferry and private charters will all continue without interruption.
The timing matters. Dana Wharf runs whale and dolphin tours year-round and says gray whales usually pass Southern California from mid-December through April. So the trailers will have been in place for about six weeks when the season the harbor is best known for begins.
Most of the harbor's working parts also sit outside the fence line. The Dana Point Times reported that the boardwalk, Baby Beach, the Dana Point Fishing Pier, the Embarcadero, the launch ramp, the fuel dock and the bait barge all stay open during Wharf construction. So do the Ocean Institute, Capt. Dave's Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari, Pure Watersports, Dana Point Yacht Club, Dana West Yacht Club and Aventura Sailing Association. Out past the docks, the Army Corps of Engineers is still repairing the west breakwater and dredging, and the operator is asking boaters to slow down and keep their distance from the marine crews.
The parking structure becomes the harbor's center
The three-level structure and the new Golden Lantern entrance opened July 2, 2025. The Log puts it at 984 spaces. Its first year was simply about parking. This winter, more of the harbor's routine starts there:
- Tickets and check-in for Dana Wharf trips and Catalina Express, from the temporary trailers next to the structure.
- The Dana Point Harbor Certified Farmers Market, every Wednesday, at its new spot near the structure. The Log describes the location as the surface lot next to the garage.
- Four hours of free parking, which the September schedule still lists, along with pedestrian access from the structure to the Wharf area.
- Holiday lights at the new harbor entrance, one of the three display zones this year.
For a meal, the closest option is across the street. Dana Marina Plaza, across Golden Lantern, has restaurants, shops and services that the revitalization doesn't touch, and Kalez has encouraged harbor visitors to walk over and support them during construction. Jimmy's lists a Dana Point location in the Plaza. For dinner on the water, Chart House at 34442 Street of the Green Lantern lists hours of 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The holiday calendar runs as usual
When the Wharf closure was announced, the Dana Point Times reported that the Turkey Trot, the Boat Parade and other community programs would continue through construction. The published dates bear that out:
- October 24: Spooky Seas and Harbor Hayrides at the Ocean Institute.
- November 12: Dana Point Harbor Partners turns on more than 700,000 LED lights. Displays this year include the whale sculpture, the harbor VW bus and Merry Kiss Me, spread across the new harbor entrance, the island and Bump Out Park near Baby Beach. They stay up through January 10, 2027.
- November 26: The 49th Dana Point Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day at the harbor. We didn't find a 2026 route or parking plan that accounts for construction, so check the race site closer to the day.
- December 5 and 6: Boat rides with Santa.
- December 11 to 13: The 51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights, themed "Dana Point's HARBORITAVILLE," starting each night at 6:30 p.m. You can watch from the Island park areas or the boardwalk, or book a parade charter with Dana Wharf or Capt. Dave's. The harbor warns these cruises sell out.
- December 19: The harbor holiday market and Little Folk Club. The Chanukah menorah display runs December 14 to 22.
Every parade viewing spot on that list is outside the construction zone, and the charters leave from operators who aren't shutting down. Losing the Wharf storefronts doesn't affect how residents watch the parade.
The marina is ahead of the restaurants and the hotels are stalled
On the water, the project is mostly done. The Marina at Dana Point opened Phase 12 on September 14, 2026, is more than four-fifths through its 15 phases, and has Phase 13 slated to start this fall. The Log reported in July that the marina was on track to finish by the end of 2027. An undated county District 5 page still says 2028, but it lags behind the operator's September schedule.
On land, the timeline is longer. Phase 3 of the Commercial Core, which began demolition in February 2026, covers more than 100,000 square feet of new waterfront development. The rebuilt Wharf is planned at about 20,000 square feet, with eight new tenants, up to four returning tenants, public gathering areas and public art. The reporting we reviewed didn't name the new tenants. In March, the Orange County Register reported a fourth-quarter 2027 completion target for the Commercial Core. Later updates describe a coordinated opening ahead of LA28 without giving a firmer date.
The hotels are the least certain piece. On August 25, 2026, the Orange County Board of Supervisors deadlocked on the restructured 66-year ground leases needed to finance the two proposed hotels, and the operator now lists that project as on hold. The Dana Point Times identifies the proposals as The Doheny, a 130-room boutique hotel, and The Salt Haus, a 169-room surf lodge. It describes renovating the existing Marina Inn as the fallback if financing doesn't come through. For now, the Dana Point Marina Inn is open and taking reservations through December 2026.
That puts the harbor in an unusual order for the coming year. The new docks and the parking are finished first, the boats and ferries keep running from trailers, and the restaurants come back last. Between November 1 and the Commercial Core opening, most harbor trips will start at the corner of Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive.
The team at Nicole Christopherson follows how projects like the harbor revitalization change daily life in South County's coastal neighborhoods, from which businesses come back to how a year of construction reshapes the waterfront. If you'd like to talk through what the harbor's next phase means for your part of Dana Point, Book an Appointment with us.