Marina del Rey's Fall Calendar Is Built Around a Garage That Isn't Finished Yet

The free Beach Shuttle made its last run on September 27, and the WaterBus ended its regular season three weeks before that. Between now and New Year's Eve, the harbor's largest public events gather around Burton Chace Park. Right up Mindanao Way, the County's new 368-space parking structure at Lot 4 has a completion date of December 2026, and the County says that date can still change. So this fall, how you get to the water matters more than usual.

The season by date

Here is what's scheduled, in order, with times from the County and event organizers:

1. Saturdays and Sundays in October, 2 to 5 p.m. Free concerts at Fisherman's Village, with US99 on Oct. 10, Jimbo Ross & the Bodacious Band on Oct. 11 and 25, Ohio Plus Trio on Oct. 17 and 31, Upstream on Oct. 18, and Select Vibez II on Oct. 24.
2. Thursdays through Oct. 29, 5 to 9 p.m. Beach Eats food trucks at Lot 11, 14101 Panay Way, by Mother's Beach.
3. Every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Marina del Rey Farmers' Market, also at Lot 11.
4. Every Tuesday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Neighborhood Game Night at Burton Chace Park. Walk-ups are welcome, and the County suggests registering on Eventbrite to hold a spot.
5. Oct. 24 and 25, 4 to 10 p.m. Marina SPOOKTACULAR at Burton Chace Park. It's free.
6. Saturday, Dec. 12. The 64th Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade, themed "Hollywood Under The Stars."
7. Dec. 31, 7 p.m. to midnight. The Marina del Rey NYE Fireworks & Glow Party at Burton Chace Park.

Three of those seven are the season's crowd-drawing nights, and all three are at Chace Park. That's where the parking question starts.

Why Lot 4 matters to the Chace Park nights

Lot 4 sits near the Marina del Rey Visitor Center, at Admiralty Way and Mindanao Way. It has been closed for construction since December 1, 2025. When it's done, the County plans a three-level structure plus a surface lot with 368 spaces, open 24 hours a day. It will have pay-and-display stations, accessible stalls, EV charging and a civic art piece by the artist team FreelandBuck, shaped like abstracted sails along the side that faces Mindanao Way.

The County explains the project in terms of crowds. Its project page says the Marina's events and recreation "bring thousands of visitors to the Marina each year," and that the structure is meant to meet that demand. The timeline sets construction from December 2025 to December 2026 and notes that dates "are subject to change based on permitting and approval processes."

Spooktacular comes before that window closes. The Boat Parade lands in the month the garage is supposed to open. Nothing published so far says whether it will be ready by December 12. For planning, assume both nights run without it. While Lot 4 is closed, the County points drivers to a map of its other Marina del Rey lots.

What's left for getting around without a car

The County did plan for the Halloween weekend. It's bringing the WaterBus back for one special weekend.

The WaterBus has eight boarding stops around the harbor. Bikes and strollers are allowed on board. Pets are not. On Spooktacular weekend, that means a household near any stop can get to Chace Park and home again for a couple of dollars a person, without looking for parking. The tourism board published the weekend's hours, but the operator's own page wasn't loading when we checked. Look at it again closer to October 24.

After that weekend, the WaterBus is done until next season. Getting to the Boat Parade and the New Year's Eve party comes down to walking, biking or the County's other lots.

The harbor is being rebuilt in the places people use every day

The same County department running the fall calendar is also rebuilding the harbor's everyday public spaces, one piece at a time. One project is finished, one was set to begin this fall, and two more are in the works.

Mother's Beach is finished. On July 2, 2026, the Department of Beaches and Harbors completed improvements at Marina "Mother's" Beach, 4101 Admiralty Way. The work included a renovated and expanded restroom and office building, more dry boat storage, picnic shelters, barbecue grills, a promenade and a beach access mat. Beach Eats sets up next door at Lot 11, so the four Thursdays left in October are a chance to see the new picnic shelters and grills on a weeknight. Food trucks rotate each week, with menus listed as desserts, burgers, BBQ, tacos and lobster rolls.

The public launch ramp is next in line. Construction at the Boat Launch Ramp Facility, 13477 Fiji Way, was expected to begin at the start of fall 2026 and finish in summer 2027. The plan replaces the aging dock system, adds an accessible queuing dock next to the ramps, installs stormwater features and slurry-seals and restripes the parking lot. The County has posted a phasing map. If you trailer a boat, check it before you head out on a weekend morning to see whether work has started and which section it affects.

The Parcel 77 docks come next. The County is replacing the Parcel 77 dock facility, used for kayaking, rowing, sailing and other small boats, with a new concrete dock system. That project is in plan check, and construction is expected to start in late 2027.

Sea lions are getting their own dock. After public feedback about seals and sea lions crowding boat docks around the harbor, the County is developing a dedicated floating pinniped dock near Fisherman's Village. It will also work as a public viewing spot. No construction schedule has been posted.

Fisherman's Village fills the weekend afternoons

Chace Park has the big nights. Fisherman's Village has the steady weekend afternoons. The October concert series runs every Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m., and it's free. Since May 30, 2026, the Village has also had its own Historical Society at 13723 Fiji Way, so a concert afternoon can include a stop there. The planned pinniped dock is meant for this same stretch of the main channel, so the Village is likely to become a viewing spot once it's built.

On the waterfront dining front, there isn't much new to report. Tony P's Dockside Grill served its last meal on June 29, 2025, after its owners retired. In October 2025, WhatNow reported that California Yacht Club was preparing a sea-to-table restaurant at the former Tony P's location, 4445 Admiralty Way. That same month, the County's announcement put the target opening in spring 2026. We haven't found a current source confirming it opened. A few blocks inland, Luna Bistro & Cafe was reported under construction at 13181 Mindanao Way in August and aiming for a September opening. Check for an open sign before you plan around it.

Weekday mornings at Chace Park

The Chace Park schedule also has a weekday side. The County runs a free walking group on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., with harbor views along the route. You need to register by calling (424) 526-7910 or emailing [email protected]. On Tuesdays, you can do the walk in the morning and come back for Game Night at 5:30.

Parade night, December 12

The Holiday Boat Parade is the season's biggest night and the clearest example of the parking problem. The organizer's schedule lists park activities from 4 to 8 p.m., a pre-parade show from 5:45 to 6 p.m. and the parade itself from 6 to 8 p.m. The organizer calls the 5:45 show a "lightshow," and the tourism board's listing calls it a drone show. The format should be clear closer to the date.

The parade comes in the same month Lot 4 is due to finish. If the garage opens on time, parade night may be the first big crowd it handles. If it doesn't, plan on the other lots, a walk or a bike ride. For anyone within walking distance of the main channel, there's another option this year: arrive at 4 p.m. and spend the evening at the park.

If you own near Chace Park, Fisherman's Village or Mother's Beach and want to know how this round of County projects could affect your home's value, Scott Price Realty follows each project's timeline closely and can walk you through it. Discover Your Home's Value with a conversation about your block and what's being built around it.