What to Know
- Happy Harbor Days at Dana Point Harbor
- Nov. 15 through the middle of January 2024
- A massive whale sculpture, the popular Merry Kiss Me sign, and three lighted boat parades are on the horizon, as well as Santa sightings and boat rides
Like wave after wave after wave, the holiday season moves steadily in the direction of our personal shores. We see it moving closer and soon, it is here, keeping us on the go nearly around the clock.
But there are spots around Southern California made for slowing down and savoring the specialness of the season, and one just happens to be wave-adjacent, as in the real waves of the ocean: It's Dana Point Harbor, which has become one of the prettiest Pacific-close places around.
Of course, the charming shops and restaurants of this destination always boast plenty of quaint-a-tude, but when the mellow centerpoint of November arrives, just about a week or so ahead of Thanksgiving, things around the harbor become as iridescent as the inside of a seashell.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Well, maybe not iridescent, exactly, but the decorations found around Dana Point during Happy Harbor Days are colorful and picture-ready, something that tempts plenty of revelers to stop by.
There's the popular Merry Kiss Me sign — a perfect place to share a smooch — and the whimsical whale sculpture, another favorite.
Beach balls — a "towering stack," in fact — up the area's sandy character, while palm trees wrapped in lights do the same, in shimmery style.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
And the beloved Boat Parade of Lights will be back, too, over three nights, so be sure to take your place on the short or a nearby vessel on Dec. 8, 9, or 10.
Other uplifting events will festoon the harbor's schedule, with Santa Paws paw-ping up on Dec. 9 and 10 and Santa Claus sightings on select dates.
Enjoying the lights and decorations?
That's free, while some events, like Boat Rides with Santa, have a fee.
Check out the full rollicking roster here and begin planning your escape to the waves — the wet kind — as you take a break from all of those busy waves the holidays bring.
