Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Dana Point for 2026, and both happen on the water. Santa takes families on harbor boat rides on December 5 and 6, and the 51st Boat Parade of Lights lights up Dana Point Harbor nightly from December 11 to 13. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Dana Point
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Dana Point
- Boat Ride with Santa: December 5 and 6, 10 am to 2 pm, Dana Wharf
- Boat Parade of Lights: December 11 to 13, nightly at 6:30 pm
- Parade is free to watch from the boardwalk
- Every date checked on the Dana Point Harbor calendar on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Dana Point
Holiday boat paradeFree
51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights
- When: Friday, December 11 to Sunday, December 13, 2026, nightly at 6:30 pm
- Where: Dana Point Harbor, 34571 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA 92629 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to watch from shore; charter cruises extra
- Ages: All ages
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Dana Point Harbor’s 51st Boat Parade of Lights glides through the harbor at 6:30 pm for three nights in mid-December, with this year’s theme, Harboritaville, inspiring the decorated boats.
Families can watch free from the harbor boardwalk and park areas, or book a parade cruise with Dana Wharf or Captain Dave’s to see the boats up close from the water.
Parent tip: Claim a spot along the boardwalk by 6 pm with a blanket and cocoa. Kids get the best view near the water’s edge.
- Host
- Dana Point Harbor Partners (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Dana Point Harbor, 34571 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA 92629 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Dana Point events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Dana Point daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Dana Point.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Dana Point event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Dana Point.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Dana Point before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Dana Point
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Event hosts: free events are listed first. The #1 spot puts your event at the top of this page.Inquire about the #1 spotAdd your event for free
Harbor boat ride with Santa
Boat Ride with Santa
- When: Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6, 2026, 10 am to 2 pm
- Where: Dana Wharf, Dana Point Harbor, Dana Point, CA 92629 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Tickets through Dana Wharf; proceeds benefit Soroptimist of Capistrano Bay
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa trades his sleigh for the Dana Pride on the first weekend of December, taking families on 20-minute rides around Dana Point Harbor between 10 am and 2 pm.
Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching runs the rides, and ticket proceeds go to Soroptimist of Capistrano Bay. Time slots sell out, so book ahead.
Parent tip: Book a mid-morning slot when the harbor is calmest, and keep a jacket handy since it is breezier on the water.
- Host
- Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Dana Wharf, Dana Point Harbor, Dana Point, CA 92629 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Dana Point events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Dana Point daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Dana Point.
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We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our California Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Dana Point Christmas event for kids happens
Book the Santa boat ride for the first weekend of December, then come back the next weekend to watch the lighted boats from the boardwalk.
- Boat Ride with SantaDana Point · Dec 5 to Dec 6
- 51st Annual Boat Parade of LightsDana Point · Dec 11 to Dec 13
Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, Ladera Ranch and Mission Viejo. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.
A story for the drive home
A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on AmazonKeep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every California city.
Dana Point Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Dana Point this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Dana Point for 2026: the Boat Ride with Santa from Dana Wharf and the 51st Annual Boat Parade of Lights in Dana Point Harbor.
When is the Dana Point Boat Parade of Lights in 2026?
Friday, December 11 to Sunday, December 13, 2026, starting at 6:30 pm each night. The 2026 theme is Harboritaville.
Where is the best place to watch the Dana Point boat parade?
The harbor boardwalk and park areas are free. For a closer look, Dana Wharf and Captain Dave’s run parade cruises.
How does the Boat Ride with Santa work?
Families board the Dana Pride for a 20-minute ride around the harbor with Santa, between 10 am and 2 pm on December 5 and 6. Book a time slot through Dana Wharf.
Who do I contact about Dana Point holiday events?
For the Santa boat ride, Dana Wharf at info@danawharf.com or (888) 224-0603. For the boat parade, Dana Point Harbor at info@danapointharbor.com.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in California?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s California Christmas train rides page.
How do you confirm these events?
We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked Dana Point on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.
Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.