"Our team will be pouring and serving daily through Oct. 31 on the Wharf," Turk's owner Candy Varteresian told the Dana Point Times this summer. Turk's has been on the harbor since 1984, and the line is as close to a farewell date as most of the remaining Wharf tenants have put in writing.
The Wharf closes to the public on Nov. 1, 2026, as Phase 4 of the Commercial Core Revitalization begins. The harbor itself stays open. What changes is where things happen. Check-in for Dana Wharf's fishing and whale-watching trips and for Catalina Express moves to trailers beside the Golden Lantern parking structure, and the Wednesday farmers market sets up in the lot next to it. Most of the restaurants and shops leaving the Wharf have not announced where they will be in the meantime.
Who is closing, and who has said where they're going
Wind & Sea went first. The seafood-and-steak restaurant served its last meal on Sept. 15 after 54 years, because its building needed the most extensive construction. The rest of the Wharf's buildings follow with a final business day of Oct. 31.
The real difference between these businesses is not when they close. It is whether they have announced somewhere to go. As of the latest reporting, only two have a confirmed next stop.
| Business | On the harbor since | What has been announced for after Oct. 31 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind & Sea | 54 years before its Sept. 15 close | In talks with harbor officials about a possible return in a new form |
| Turk's | 1984 | Plans to return after construction; exploring local options until then |
| Proud Mary's | 1977 | Would reopen elsewhere only if an existing restaurant space turns up; no plans yet |
| Golden Galleon Boutique | 1979 | Looking for a temporary local storefront; plans to return to the harbor |
| Frisby Cellars | 2018 | Events and wine club move to its Rancho Mission Viejo location |
| Coco Bloom Coffee | Opened 2025 | Moving to 1500 W. Balboa Blvd. in Newport Beach this winter |
| Vintage Yacht Club | Moved to the Wharf in 2025 | Exploring relocation options |
| Top Brass | Not reported | Expected to close Oct. 31 |
| Art Sea + Gift Chateau | Moved to the Wharf in 2025 | In talks about returning to the finished harbor |
Frisby has the clearest plan. Owner Josh Frisby told the Dana Point Times that his 6,000-square-foot Rancho Mission Viejo location, about nine miles from the harbor, just signed another seven-year lease. Dana Point wine club members keep their benefits there. Frisby also said he is in active talks about a space in the new development, but no lease has been signed.
For the rest, a "plan to return" is a hope, not a lease. The official Commercial Core FAQ says no new businesses have been announced for the redeveloped project.
The remaining October on the Wharf
October is the last month to visit these places on the water. The confirmed dates so far:
- Through Oct. 31: Frisby keeps its regular events running, including Wags & Wine, Taco Tuesday and Sunday live music, plus private and upgraded waterfront tastings.
- Oct. 24, 5:30 to 9 p.m.: The Ocean Institute holds Spooky Seas, with haunted ship tours, aquarium access and a costume contest. Harbor Hayrides are a separately ticketed add-on.
- Oct. 31, 5 to 9 p.m.: Frisby's "Last Boorah" farewell, with a live DJ, costume contest, wine, beer and food.
- Nov. 1: The Wharf closes to the public.
Frisby's is the only farewell event the research turned up. Turk's, Proud Mary's and Golden Galleon have asked customers to come by before the end, but none has posted a last-night event.
Starting Nov. 1, check-in happens at the garage
The 984-space parking structure off Golden Lantern opened in 2025 as the first finished landside piece of the project. After Nov. 1 it becomes the harbor's practical front door.
Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express will work out of temporary trailers next to the structure, with excursions seven days a week. Dana Wharf describes the process as checking in at the trailer and then being escorted to the boat. The harbor's parking page sends both companies' customers to level 3 of the garage.
Dana Wharf has run a trailer here before. Co-owner Donna Kalez said so in the harbor partners' announcement:
"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."
The timing works for whale watching. Dana Wharf's species calendar lists gray whales from November through May, so the trailer opens right at the start of gray whale season. The company runs its whale and dolphin tours year-round.
The Dana Point Harbor Certified Farmers Market keeps its Wednesday hours, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the surface lot just outside the structure.
The structure's posted rates give four free hours. After that it is $6 an hour, up to $24 a day, and special events may have their own rates.
Where to eat near the harbor in the meantime
Once the Wharf closes, the closest places to eat are outside the construction zone. Dana Marina Plaza, across Golden Lantern, has restaurants, shops and services that the revitalization project does not affect. Chart House at 34442 Street of the Green Lantern lists daily hours.
The Dana Point Marina Inn is still open and serves its guests a free breakfast. It has no restaurant on site and points guests to nearby restaurants instead.
The harbor's online restaurant directory still lists Coco Bloom, Frisby, Proud Mary's and Turk's. Treat that as a page that hasn't been updated yet, not as proof they are still open in November.
The holiday calendar still happens, closer to the boardwalk
Dana Point Harbor Partners said the Turkey Trot, Boat Parade of Lights, Festival of Whales and Little Folk Club will all continue during construction.
- 49th Dana Point Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving, Nov. 26: The 10K starts at 7 a.m. Waves of the 5K start at 8:30, 9:30 and 10 a.m. The costume contest is at 9 a.m. and the kids' mile at 10:30 a.m. Packet pickup is Nov. 25 from noon to 6 p.m. and race morning from 6 to 11 a.m., in the Dana Marina Plaza lot. Race-day shuttles run from Dana Hills High School between 5:30 and 11:15 a.m.
- 51st Boat Parade of Lights, "Harboritaville," Dec. 11 to 13: The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. each night. The public can watch from the harbor boardwalk and parkscapes or from a holiday charter. Dana Wharf lists 6:30 p.m. charter cruises all three nights. The Ocean Institute's viewing party on Dec. 11 runs from 6 to 9 p.m., with food and drinks for sale, cocoa, cookie decorating and live entertainment.
- 56th Festival of Whales, March 5 to 7, 2027: The dates are confirmed.
The harbor has not posted a 2026 parking or shuttle plan for the boat parade. The overflow and trolley instructions on its older event page were written for 2024. Watch for a new notice before parade weekend.
What fills the Wharf, and when
The marina is moving faster than the shops and restaurants. Phase 12 of the 15-phase marina rebuild opened for boats on Sept. 14, 2026. That puts the marina past four-fifths complete, with Phase 13 starting this fall. Dana Point Harbor Partners has said the marina is on track to finish in 2027.
Phase 4 on the Wharf calls for about 20,000 square feet of new waterfront buildings. The plan includes eight new tenants, as many as four returning tenants, public gathering areas and new public art. Five departing businesses are in talks about returning: Wind & Sea, Turk's, Frisby, Golden Galleon and Art Sea + Gift Chateau. The plan has room for up to four returning tenants. Katie Sorensen of Burnham-Ward Properties described the fall schedule as "critical to achieving harbor opening ahead of LA28."
Until then, boat check-in happens at trailers by the garage, the market sets up in the lot beside it, and the closest sit-down meals are across Golden Lantern.
Gregory Schnitzer tracks harbor projects like this one because they change how a stretch of coast works day to day, long before anything shows up in a home's value. If you own near the harbor and want to talk through how the rebuild timeline affects your plans, Gregory Schnitzer is glad to help. Let's Connect.
