Holidays in Dana Point

Every December, two migrations arrive in Dana Point. One is made of families and friends coming together for the holidays. The other is made of Pacific gray whales, swimming south on one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, about 10,000 miles round trip between the Arctic and the warm lagoons of Baja California. Very few places put both on the same calendar, and that is what makes a holiday here feel different. You can cheer for a parade of lighted boats one night and spot a whale spout from the bow the next morning. Here is our week by week guide to the season, from a Thanksgiving morning run along the harbor to the first sunrise of the new year.

Mark your calendar with the season's biggest moments:

• Dana Point Turkey Trot: Thursday, November 26, 2026
• Holiday Night Market and harbor lights: November 12, 2026 to January 7, 2027
• La Plaza Park Tree Lighting: Saturday, December 5, 2026 
• 51st Boat Parade of Lights: December 11 to 13, 2026, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
• Holiday Market: Saturday, December 19, 2026
• Gray whale watching season: December into spring

Dana Point starts the season on its feet. The Dana Point Turkey Trot is one of the largest Thanksgiving races in the country, and the course follows the water around Dana Point Harbor. Choose the 10K at 7 a.m., one of the 5K waves, or the 15K combo to run both. Kids can join the one-mile Gobble Wobble, and costumes are encouraged. Register early through the official race site, since Thanksgiving is one of the busiest mornings of the year in the harbor.

That evening, walk off dinner at the Holiday Night Market, which glows along the waterfront after sunset from mid-November into early January.

On Saturday, December 5, the Tree Lighting at La Plaza Park brings the whole town into the Lantern District, with Santa's Jolly Trolley making stops around the city that day. Two days later, a second tree lights up at Pines Park in Capistrano Beach. Check the City of Dana Point for times. Make a night of it with dinner nearby and a stroll through the boutiques when you shop local

The headline event of the season runs three nights, December 11 to 13, 2026, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This year's theme for the 51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights is "Harboritaville", so expect lighted palm trees and plenty of tropical flair on the decorated boats. Watch for free from the harbor boardwalk and waterfront parks, or book a charter to see the parade from the water. Our Boat Parade guide covers the best viewing spots and ways to get on the water, and the official parade page lists the full schedule.

Make it a holiday double feature. Only in Dana Point can you book a morning whale watching cruise and an evening boat parade from the same harbor on the same day. Reserve both early, because parade weekend charters fill fast.

Save your list for Saturday, December 19, when the Holiday Market brings more than 65 local makers and small businesses to the harbor. Admission is free, with live music, photos with Santa, and a kids' craft station. On other nights, the Holiday Night Market keeps the shopping going after dark.

Stuck on what to give? Try a gift that becomes a memory: a whale watching cruise, a surf lesson, a spa day, or a family membership to the Ocean Institute, the harbor's hands-on marine science center. Browse more ideas on our local attractions page.

The week between the holidays is made for doing less. Start Christmas morning with a walk on the sand at Doheny State Beach, California's first state beach, or find your favorite stretch of shoreline in our guide to Dana Point beaches. Later, settle into a long lunch or a sunset dinner overlooking the Pacific at one of Dana Point's ocean view restaurants. Reserve early for holiday weeks.

On New Year's Eve, toast at an oceanfront resort, then greet January 1 with a walk along the bluffs as the first light hits the water.

Dana Point is the Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World®, and the holidays mark the start of its busiest whale season. According to NOAA Fisheries, gray whales head south each fall from feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas to the lagoons of Baja California, where calves are born from early January to mid-February. From mid-February through May, they travel north again, often mothers with new calves.

That means a holiday visit puts you here for the southbound passage, and a return trip in March lines up with the Festival of Whales. Learn how to plan a cruise in our guide to whale watching in Dana Point.

• Arrive early on parade nights. Harbor parking fills well before the 6:30 p.m. start.
• Pack layers. Days are mild, but evenings on the water turn cool, especially on a boat.
• Book dinner and charters now. Holiday weeks and parade weekend sell out first.
• Stay the night. A hotel stay turns one event into a full coastal weekend.

Give yourselves a getaway: The Waldorf Romance Package adds Champagne, dessert, and a rose petal turndown, and the Waldorf Spa Escape includes a $300 spa credit every night. See current offers.

Plan your holiday stay with the hotels below, or keep the season going with our Winter in Dana Point guide.