Festival of Whales this weekend at Dana Point Harbor
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This weekend, Dana Point Harbor dives into the annual Festival of Whales. Now in it’s 55th year, the three-day-long event invites locals and visitors to mark the gray whale migration with a parade, carnival and other family-friendly activities that celebrate the “Dolphin & Whale Watching Capital of the World.”
“Reaching the 55th anniversary of the Festival of Whales is incredibly meaningful for our family and for the entire Dana Point community,” said Donna Kalez, chair of the Festival of Whales Foundation and owner of Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching, in a news release.
Kalez’s father, Don Hansen, established the festival more than five decades ago. Hansen also founded Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and is credited with being the first to host whale watching in Orange County, using his original fleet in San Clemente to take local students on tours to see dolphins and whales. His memory is honored with a special plaque in Hansen Plaza at Dana Point Harbor.
“When my father envisioned the festival in 1971, he could never have imagined that it would be thriving more than five decades later,” Kalez said. “Although we lost him in 2022, his legacy lives on through this event. Today, the Festival of Whales stands as the longest‑running annual whale festival in the world.”
The festival officially begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 6, with a “Welcoming of the Whales Ceremony” at the Ocean Institute. Members of the Acjachemen Nation, who have lived on the Orange County coast for more than 10,000 years, will participate in the observation along with a paddle out with the Dana Point Surf Club.
Opening night will include the Festival of Whales Carnival, open from 5 to 9 p.m. with rides, games, food and entertainment for all ages at Lantern Bay Park. The carnival continues from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The Festival of Whales Magical Migration Parade returns at 10 a.m. Saturday with a refreshed route beginning at Casitas Place, moving west along Dana Point Harbor Drive toward Island Way and concluding across the bridge at the Richard Henry Dana Jr. Statue. Giant, helium marine mammal balloons are one of the most beloved elements of the parade, along with marching bands, military units and colorful floats.
“Each season, we work to introduce new experiences while honoring longstanding traditions,” Kalez said.
Other events planned over the weekend range from the artistic, such as Wyland Art Lessons in the Wild with Marine muralist Wyland at Dana Wharf Whale Watching at 9 a.m. on Saturday, to the academic: the Marine Mammal Lecture Series, featuring whale expert Alisa Schulman-Janiger at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. There will be also be foodie favorites on Saturday including the Clam Chowder Cookout near Baby Beach from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Dockside Drafts at the Ocean Institute pouring craft beers on the waterfront.
On Sunday, the community is invited to meet at the Richard Henry Dana, Jr. statue at 9 a.m. for the “Stand Up To Trash Beach Cleanup and Lunch & Learn” and BYOB (bring your own bucket). Visitors can explore vintage cars and boats at the Classic Car Displays and Antique & Classic Boat Show at at the Harbor Village Parking Lot from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Of course, attendees can also book a local whale watching excursion with Captain Dave’s Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari, Dana Wharf Whale Watching or Ocean Institute Whale and Marine Life Tours.
Additionally, the Dana Point Trolley will offer free service during the evenings over the festival weekend, and the Dana Point Harbor parking structure will offer four hours of free public parking.
For more information and a full list of events visit festivalofwhales.com
