The WaterBus finished its 2026 summer schedule on September 7, and its Dance MdR evenings ran through late September. It has exactly two more days on the water this year, October 24 and 25, for Marina Spooktacular. Four days later, Beach Eats holds its last Thursday of the year. Two days after that, the free weekend concert series at Fisherman's Village plays its final October date.
Put those dates side by side and the public season has a clear end point. It's the eight days from Saturday, October 24 to Saturday, October 31. After that, the harbor's public calendar shifts to County weeknight programs at Burton Chace Park until the Holiday Boat Parade on December 12.
Eight Days, Four Endings
Most of the harbor's public programming is run by different operators, but this October their final dates fall almost on top of each other.
| Program | Where | Final 2026 date | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marina WaterBus | Eight stops around the harbor | Sunday, Oct. 25 | 2–11 p.m. |
| Marina Spooktacular | Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way | Sunday, Oct. 25 | 4–10 p.m. |
| Beach Eats | Lot 11, 14101 Panay Way | Thursday, Oct. 29 | 5–9 p.m. |
| Free weekend concerts | Fisherman's Village, 13723 Fiji Way | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 2–5 p.m. |
The WaterBus is the clearest signal. Its 2026 schedule had three blocks. Weekend service ran June 19 through September 7, with Friday and Saturday hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays ending at 9 p.m. Dance MdR service ran on select September evenings, ending September 25. The Spooktacular weekend is the third block and the last one listed. Once the boats tie up on the night of October 25, the water taxi linking Fisherman's Village, Burton Chace Park, Waterfront Walk, Marina "Mother's" Beach, Dolphin Marina, Esprit, Wetlands Park and Del Rey Landing is off the calendar.
The Last WaterBus Weekend Is Also Spooktacular
The Marina del Rey Tourism Board lists the Spooktacular WaterBus fare at $1 per person, one way. The boats serve both Burton Chace Park and Fisherman's Village. The event itself runs 4 to 10 p.m. both days and admission is free. The County's event page asks attendees to RSVP and sign a liability waiver.
The County splits the program by scare level. For younger kids, there's a walk-through Graveyard Treasure Hunt with scheduled scavenger hunts each day. There are also carnival and sports games, a giant inflatable slide, a kids' grid maze, the Buccaneer pirate ship and a funhouse obstacle course. Face painting and arts and crafts run from 4 to 8 p.m. For older visitors, there's the Haunted Blackout Maze of Terror, which the County flags as a high scare level, plus a set of Scare Zones.
The stage schedule has two fixed times to plan around:
- 5 p.m. Kids' magic show
- 7:15 p.m. The Halloween stage show, featuring The Hammer Smasher, The Ghost and The Head Chopper of Doom
- 6 to 9 p.m. Glow-in-the-dark juggling from a roving Jack Skellington on and off stilts
Venice Paparazzi is running the photo booth this year, and the 2026 announcement encourages costumes. The County says gourmet food trucks will be on site but hasn't named them.
Parking without Lot 4
One part of the County's Spooktacular page is out of date. The FAQ suggests Lots 77, 2 and 5, and a repeated block of the same FAQ also lists Lot 4. Lot 4 is the County lot across from Trader Joe's near Admiralty Way and Mindanao Way, and it has been closed for construction since December 1, 2025. The Tourism Board says nearby public lots usually cost $7 to $10 and fill quickly. It recommends arriving early and planning a short walk to a legal rideshare pickup spot rather than stopping curbside. Burton Chace Park and the shuttles are wheelchair accessible, and accessible stalls are available in all public lots.
Taking the WaterBus from Fisherman's Village helps with parking. It also gives you one last harbor ride before the boats are off the water for the year.
The Concerts Bracket the Whole Month
On weekend afternoons, Fisherman's Village is running a free 2–5 p.m. concert series at 13723 Fiji Way. Here are the remaining October dates and acts:
- Sat., Oct. 10: US99
- Sun., Oct. 11: Jimbo Ross & the Bodacious Band
- Sat., Oct. 17: Ohio Plus Trio
- Sun., Oct. 18: Upstream
- Sat., Oct. 24: Select Vibez II DJ
- Sun., Oct. 25: Jimbo Ross & the Bodacious Band
- Sat., Oct. 31: Ohio Plus Trio
On October 24 and 25, the concerts end at 5 p.m., one hour after Spooktacular opens across the channel, and the WaterBus is running between the two stops all afternoon. That makes it easy to catch a set at Fisherman's Village and then ride the WaterBus over to Burton Chace Park.
The same address now has another draw. The Fisherman's Village Historical Society opened its new space at 13723 Fiji Way with a public ribbon cutting on May 30.
Thursday the 29th Is the Last Food Truck Night
Beach Eats has run every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. since May 7, and October 29 is the final night. Use the address 14101 Panay Way for Lot 11. The County's flyer and the truck operator's page both list it, but the County's general events calendar prints a different address.
The flyer says trucks and menus change every week. As of early October, the Best Food Trucks schedule lists Me So Fishy, Baby's Badass Burgers, NY Pizza House and Thai-Mex Cocina for the final night. The schedule is live, so check it that afternoon, because the lineup can change before the 29th.
After Halloween, the Harbor Moves to Weeknights
Once the weekend programs end, the County's calendar continues at Burton Chace Park on weeknights. Neighborhood Game Night is listed every Tuesday through December 29. Sandy Brushes is listed every Wednesday through December 30. Both start this week, on Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7, so they overlap with the end of the weekend season before taking over the calendar for November and December.
These are small, recurring County programs. They don't need a water taxi, a stage schedule or extra parking, and in the gap between Halloween and the parade, they're the main public events at the park.
That gap ends on Saturday, December 12, with the 64th Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade. This year's theme is "Hollywood Under The Stars." Activities at Burton Chace Park run 4 to 8 p.m. The light show is 5:45 to 6 p.m., and the parade runs 6 to 8 p.m.
The Garage That Could Change Parade Night
The Lot 4 closure that affects Spooktacular parking is meant to fix parking for the harbor's largest events. The County is building a public structure there with 368 spaces, which it describes as nearly triple the old capacity. It will have accessible stalls, EV charging, a redesigned surface lot and 24-hour operation. The project also includes a new plaza and rest area connecting the garage to the Marvin Braude Bike Path and the Marina del Rey Visitors Center. The artist team FreelandBuck is installing abstract sail forms along the Mindanao Way side of the building.
The County hasn't set an opening date. Its January release said completion was expected by "late Fall 2026," and its development tracker lists the construction phase as ending in December 2026. If the work stays on that schedule, the garage could open around the same time as the boat parade. It's still possible that it won't, and the County hasn't promised either outcome.
Two other County harbor projects affect the same stretch of shoreline. The tracker marks the Marina "Mother's" Beach restroom and boat storage renovation as completed in July 2026. The Boat Launch Ramp Facility Improvement Project at 13477 Fiji Way is listed as upcoming. Construction is expected to start at the beginning of fall 2026 and finish in summer 2027, but the County's project page hasn't yet confirmed that work has begun.
One restaurant change is also underway. New India's Oven is moving from 13444 Maxella Ave. in Villa Marina Marketplace to 13400 Washington Blvd. in Marina Collection. As of late August, it hadn't announced an opening date for the new location.
Here's the remaining calendar. The WaterBus and Spooktacular end October 25, Beach Eats ends October 29, and the Fisherman's Village concerts end October 31. After that, the public calendar is Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Burton Chace Park until the boats light up on December 12.
New public parking at Admiralty and Mindanao, a renovated Mother's Beach and an upcoming boat launch upgrade all change how a home near the harbor fits into daily life. If you'd like to know what those changes mean for the value of your own place this fall, The Suarez Team can walk you through it. Request a Free Home Evaluation.
