On Sunday, Nov. 1, Dana Point Harbor's Wharf closes to the public. That gives Turk's, Proud Mary's, Golden Galleon Boutique and the other Wharf businesses a little over three weeks of service. Dana Point Harbor Partners told The Log that "all businesses terminating operations by October 31, 2026," and that the closure marks the start of Phase 4, the fourth and final construction phase of the Commercial Core Revitalization.
The boats keep running. Sportfishing trips, whale watching, the Catalina ferry, the launch ramp and the fuel dock all stay open through construction. What closes is the place to sit down before you board and after you get back. Until the new Wharf opens, harbor life moves to a cluster of temporary trailers next to the parking structure. That is close to how the harbor started.
Every Wharf business has an Oct. 31 end date
Wind & Sea went first. It served its last customers Sept. 15 so abatement and demolition could start on Building 1. Buildings 2 through 5 stay open through the end of October. The Wharf is also the last group of original harbor businesses to come down. The Brig, Beach Harbor Pizza, Village Market and Bella Bazaar closed their Harbor Village locations on April 30 to make room for Phases 3 and 5.
Here is what is publicly known about each business as of early October:
- Turk's. The family-owned restaurant and bar has been on the harbor since 1984 and plans to return after construction. It is looking at other local options in the meantime. The owner told Dana Point Times that the team "will be pouring and serving daily through Oct. 31 on the Wharf."
- Proud Mary's. It has been part of the harbor since 1977 and is expected to close Oct. 31. The owner is considering reopening elsewhere if he finds an existing restaurant space, but no plans are in place.
- Golden Galleon Boutique. The shop has been on the harbor since 1979 and its owners are looking for a temporary local location until they can return. The harbor's October events calendar lists its "biggest sale of the year" but gives no end date.
- Art Sea + Gift Chateau. The store has been running 50% off storewide since Sept. 8, through Oct. 31, while inventory lasts.
- Frisby Cellars. The winery moved into the former Waterman's Harbor building in 2025. It is holding harbor events, waterfront tastings and a Halloween celebration through Oct. 31, and then keeps operating from its Rancho Mission Viejo tasting room, where Dana Point wine club members will keep their benefits. The Log puts that tasting room about nine miles from the harbor.
- Top Brass. Expected to close Oct. 31 along with the Wharf.
- Vintage Yacht Club. Working with the harbor's management team on local relocation options. No new location has been announced.
Coco Bloom Coffee is leaving too. It is moving from its temporary harbor storefront to Newport Beach and plans to open at 1500 W. Balboa Blvd. this winter.
Turk's and Proud Mary's are the Wharf's full-service breakfast, lunch and bar spots. With both gone, the harbor will have no full-service table on the Wharf side from November until the new buildings open.
The boats move next to the parking structure
Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express are moving to temporary on-site trailers next to the harbor parking structure. Both will keep operating while their permanent buildings go up. Dana Wharf's co-owner told The Log the move brings the business back to where it began:
"It's a full-circle moment for us. Our founder, my father Don Hansen, launched the business from a trailer in 1971 while the original harbor was under construction. After 55 years of operations, we are committed as ever to our year-round schedule of fishing, whale watching and harbor experiences, and we look forward to our much-needed and long-overdue home at the new Wharf."
So the 984-space Golden Lantern parking structure, which opened July 3, 2025, becomes the main stop for anyone heading out on the water. Dana Point Harbor Partners says there will be "no interruption" to the structure and that dedicated parking for Dana Wharf and Catalina passengers stays in place, along with permitted boater parking. According to the harbor's parking page, the structure offers four free hours.
The working waterfront is outside the construction zone. The partnership said the Embarcadero, the launch ramp, the fuel dock and the bait barge "will not be impacted by the Wharf landside construction." If you trailer a boat in early for a morning on the water, expect fencing and changed walking routes near the commercial core. The ramp and the fuel dock work the same as before.
The Wednesday Certified Farmers Market also moves closer to the structure. It keeps its 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours and relocates to the surface lot next to the parking structure. Nov. 4 will be the first market after the Wharf closes. By then, the market, the excursion trailers and the free parking will all sit within a short walk of each other on the harbor's east side.
Businesses outside the fence stay open
Dana Point Harbor Partners says access to harbor businesses outside the Wharf "will remain uninterrupted through these formal phases of construction." The partnership named Dana Point Yacht Club, Dana West Yacht Club, Aventura Sailing Association, Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari, Ocean Institute and Pure Watersports.
That list doesn't change what's on the water, but it does change where you go on land. For the next stretch, a harbor afternoon for out-of-town guests can start at Ocean Institute, run through a dolphin trip or a paddle rental, and end without ever going behind the Wharf fencing.
On the hotel side, The Log reports that the Dana Point Marina Inn will stay open through the end of 2026 and is already taking reservations for the Boat Parade of Lights. Supervisor Katrina Foley's harbor revitalization page says construction on the new hotels is expected to begin at the end of 2026. Construction may spread to another part of the harbor just as the Wharf work gets going.
December is the first busy month without the Wharf
The 51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights runs Dec. 11 through 13 under the theme "Harboritaville." The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. each night. According to the harbor's event page, boaters compete for up to $10,000 in cash prizes in categories including Best Use of Theme, People's Choice, Supervisor's Cup and Mayor's Cup. Boaters can sign up online or at The Marina at Dana Point office.
The harbor says the public can watch from the boardwalk and parkscapes or book a holiday charter. Visit Dana Point says shoreline viewing is free. It also lists Dana Wharf parade cruises and a premier viewing option at Ocean Institute for $45 on Dec. 11. This year, a Wharf restaurant table won't be one of the ways to watch. The Ocean Institute ticket and the free boardwalk spots will carry more of the crowd.
December is also when Visit Dana Point says the gray whale migration is underway. Dana Wharf's whale watching page describes its whale and dolphin tours as year-round. Those trips will leave from the temporary setup by the parking structure. Dana Wharf has not announced a separate start date for the 2026–27 gray whale season. Its contact page still lists its regular address, so check with the operator about where to check in before booking.
What comes back, and how many tenants will be new
Once Phase 4 is finished, the Wharf will have "20,000 square feet of reimagined waterfront structures," with eight brand-new tenants and up to four returning ones, according to Dana Point Harbor Partners. Five businesses are still in talks about a return: Wind & Sea, Turk's, Art Sea Gift Chateau, Golden Galleon and Frisby Cellars & Brewing. The partnership said Wind & Sea's ownership "remains in discussions with DPHP on a reimagined concept." Frisby said any new lease would be announced jointly with Dana Point Harbor Partners if the two sides reach an agreement.
Five businesses are in talks, but there are at most four returning spots. Even if every one of those talks succeeds, at least one familiar name will not be back on the Wharf. Most of the rebuilt Wharf's storefronts will go to tenants that have never operated in the harbor.
The timeline is a target. In March, the OC Register reported a goal of finishing the overall commercial core in the fourth quarter of 2027, with tenants moving in ahead of the LA28 Summer Olympics. That report came out before the Phase 4 schedule was announced. Nobody has published an opening date for the new Wharf storefronts. On the water, The Log reported in July that the marina had started Phase 12 of its 15-phase dock replacement, had passed two-thirds completion and was still scheduled to finish by the end of 2027.
Until then, the harbor's map is simple. The last Wharf meals and sales are before Oct. 31. From Nov. 1, boat departures leave from the trailers by the parking structure, the Wednesday market sets up in the surface lot next door, and the Boat Parade of Lights is best seen from the boardwalk Dec. 11 through 13.
Dana Point homeowners will see the harbor change every few months for the next two years, and each new tenant and finished phase will change what living near it means. When you'd like a clear read on how those changes figure into your own home's value, Casa Bella Realty Group is a family-led team in Laguna Niguel that follows the harbor project closely. Request a Free Home Valuation, and we'll walk you through it.
