On Thanksgiving morning 2025, Dana Point Times reported a record crowd of more than 12,000 runners, joggers and costumed participants in Dana Point Harbor for the 48th Turkey Trot. The 10K started and finished at the harbor entrance, then ran through Doheny State Beach, over the Harbor Island Bridge and out to the Ocean Institute.
The 49th Trot runs Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, again at Dana Point Harbor. This time the Wharf behind the start area is closed to the public, and this year's race materials are built around the blocks that construction leaves alone. Packet pickup is across Golden Lantern at Dana Marina Plaza, shuttles drop off up on Del Prado, and a new late start stretches the race morning past 10 a.m.
What closed on Oct. 31, and what didn't
Dana Point Harbor Partners told The Log in July that the Wharf would close to the public on Nov. 1, 2026, as the Commercial Core Revitalization began its fourth and final construction phase. According to Dana Point Times, the Oct. 31 closures were Turk's, Golden Galleon, Art Sea + Gift Chateau, Frisby Cellars, Proud Mary's, Top Brass and Vintage Yacht Club. Wind & Sea Restaurant had closed in September, and its building was demolished on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Some of those names are still around in other forms. Frisby Cellars & Brewing keeps pouring at its Rancho Mission Viejo tasting room, about nine miles from the harbor. Several of the Wharf tenants, Wind & Sea and Turk's among them, are in talks with Burnham-Ward Properties about spaces in the finished project.
Much of the harbor is still open. Dana Point Times lists the boardwalk, Baby Beach, the Dana Point Fishing Pier, the Embarcadero, the launch ramp, the fuel dock and the bait barge as staying open during 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. Last year's 10K ran out to the Ocean Institute, which is on that list. The fence encloses the Wharf, and most of the course passes outside it.
Dana Marina Plaza is the hub this year
The official FAQ places registration, packet pickup and the expo together at the corner of Dana Point Harbor Drive and Golden Lantern, 25001 Dana Point Harbor Dr. The race's registration page puts packet pickup in the Dana Marina Plaza parking lot, the same lot it used in 2025.
That location matters more this year. Dana Point Times describes Dana Marina Plaza as sitting across Golden Lantern from the harbor, home to restaurants, shops and services that the revitalization does not affect. In that report, Donna Kalez, co-owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching, encouraged harbor visitors to walk across the street and support those businesses while construction is underway.
Pickup runs in two windows:
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: noon to 6 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 26: 6 to 11 a.m.
The harbor's Wednesday Certified Farmers Market runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the surface lot next to the parking structure, its new spot during construction. On the day before Thanksgiving, its last hour overlaps the first hour of packet pickup, so one Wednesday trip across Golden Lantern can cover both.
The schedule now runs later into the morning
Last year, Dana Point Chamber of Commerce president and race promoter Vickie McMurchie told Dana Point Times the event had outgrown itself:
"This was our largest one yet, so we added another 500 spots this year. We sold out pretty much every race … and we could have easily probaby had 14,000 to 15,000 this year, based on the calls and emails alone."
For 2026 the race adds a start time instead. The 10 a.m. 5K Family Walk/Run is marked "NEW THIS YEAR" and is meant for walkers, families and strollers. All three 5K starts use the same course and differ only in pace.
| Time | Event | Who it suits, per the race FAQ |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | 10K | Includes portions of Doheny State Beach |
| 8:30 a.m. | 5K | The most competitive field |
| 9:00 a.m. | Costume contest | Everyone in costume |
| 9:30 a.m. | 5K | A mix of runners and walkers |
| 10:00 a.m. | 5K Family Walk/Run, new | Walkers, families, strollers |
| 10:30 a.m. | Kids' 1-Mile Gobble Wobble | Children, with an optional Adult Gobble Buddy |
The Adult Gobble Buddy is the other new addition. A parent or guardian can be added only while registering a child for the Gobble Wobble. Buddies get a bib and a finisher medal but are not chip-timed, and spots are limited.
Registration on RaceRoster lists regular fees of $48 for the 5K, $54 for the 10K, $63 for the 10K paired with the 9:30 a.m. 5K, $54 for the 10K paired with the 10 a.m. Family Walk/Run, and $25 for the Kids' mile. Registration is open through race day. The race does not give refunds, but a family member or friend can run in your place. Spectators get in free. The race lists Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley and the RH Dana Elementary School Booster Club as its charity partners.
Getting there
The later family start changed the transportation plan. In 2025, free shuttles ran from 5:30 to 11:15 a.m. For 2026 they run from 5:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., a full hour longer. Here are the options in the order the race lists them:
- Shuttle from Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern. Park there and ride to the drop-off at Del Prado and Golden Lantern near Ralph's, one block from the race.
- Shuttle from Costco, 33961 Doheny Park Rd. in San Juan Capistrano, to the same Del Prado drop-off. Both routes loop continuously, so check that you board the right one for your car.
- Dana Point Harbor Parking Structure, 799 Harbor Way, listed as public parking.
- Street parking on Del Prado and in the city's public lots in the Lantern District.
- The free e-bike corral in the harbor parking lot, open 6:30 to 11 a.m. Bring your own lock. Bikes are parked at your own risk.
The harbor's posted 2026 parking guidelines for the structure allow the first four hours free, then charge $6 for each additional hour, up to $24 a day. The same page says special-event rates may apply and space is not guaranteed. Last year's race page promoted four free hours in the structure. This year's page lists the structure as public parking and leaves out the free-hours line. Dana Point Harbor Partners told The Log there would be no interruption to the structure during construction.
The race posts its course map and parking, shuttle and road-closure details at turkeytrot.com. The course page notes that the 10K runs through parts of Doheny State Beach. Neighbors who drive out of the harbor area on Thanksgiving morning can use that page to plan around the race.
What's open on the harbor side
Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express now operate from temporary trailers next to the parking structure, according to The Log. "We're not going to be closed even for a day," Kalez told Dana Point Times. In The Log's July report, she called the move a full-circle moment, because her father, Don Hansen, started the business from a trailer in 1971 while the original harbor was being built. The harbor's parking page sends Dana Wharf and Catalina Express customers to Level 3 of the structure.
On a holiday morning, a fishing trip or a whale-watching run can share the same structure with race traffic. If you have a boat booked for Thanksgiving weekend, allow for that when you plan your arrival.
Customers of harbor businesses can park free on the Mariner's Village surface lot for up to four hours, first come, first served. After the 10K, runners with energy left can walk the boardwalk to Baby Beach or the Dana Point Fishing Pier, both of which stay open through construction. For a sit-down breakfast this year, head back across Golden Lantern to Dana Marina Plaza.
Just over two weeks later, the harbor lights up
The harbor's next big community gathering is the 51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights, Dec. 11 to 13, themed "Harboritaville." The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. each night. The harbor's event page suggests watching from the boardwalk and the parkscapes or booking a parade charter with Dana Wharf or Captain Dave's. The Log reported that the Dana Point Marina Inn will stay open through the end of 2026 and is taking reservations for the parade weekend. Between Thanksgiving and the parade, the Wharf stays fenced off while the boardwalk, the boats and the businesses across Golden Lantern stay open.
If the work going on around the harbor has you wondering what it means for your own block, Tom Bertog Group has been licensed in California since 1989 and works across South Orange County. Call Tom for a personal market consultation, and enjoy the Trot.
