With summer fast approaching, the City of Dana Point announced a slate of summer events and activities from youth summer camps to free outdoor concerts and movie screenings for residents to enjoy.
Honoring fallen veterans, the City of Dana Point and Dana Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9934 will host a Memorial Day ceremony at Pines Park on Monday, May 29, featuring the “boots and rifle” ceremony.
With Memorial Day marking the unofficial start to summer, the city’s free summertime trolley is set to return, running from this Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, Sept. 4.
The Dana Point Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the trolley’s launch with a Trolley Hop on Sunday, May 28, from noon to 5 p.m., when passengers 21 and older can purchase a wristband for access to exclusive drink specials at participating restaurants.
This year’s Trolley Hop theme is Aloha, with the first 300 participants to register receiving a Hawaiian lei.
Trolleys will operate Mondays through Thursdays from noon to 9 p.m.; Fridays from noon to 10 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. On Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, the trolley will run from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Trolleys will arrive at stops every 15 minutes, though service may be delayed during heavy traffic. A Dana Point Trolley tracker app is also available for smartphones, where users can find live updates and arrival times of each trolley stop.
A live view of the trolley’s route can be found at dptrolley.com.
Dana Point’s trolley will connect to San Clemente’s trolley at Camino Mira Costa and Camino de Estrella, and will also connect to San Juan Capistrano’s trolley at Stonehill Drive and Del Obispo Street.
Riders can also transfer to the Laguna Beach or Laguna Niguel trolleys off Pacific Coast Highway at Ritz Carlton Drive or Niguel Road.
Throughout the summer, the City of Dana Point is offering a variety of youth summer camps and classes for children from 5 to 18 years old. Summer camp activities include Anime, Cartooning and Comic Creation; Artsy Cooking; Beginning Co-Ed Youth Pickleball; Jewelry Design and Craft Creation; Teen Cuisine; and Coach Jay’s Basketball Camp.
Beginning on June 2, Movies in the Park will return, with a new film screened at various parks in the city after sunset each Friday.
The Neverending Story will be screened at Lantern Bay Park on June 2; Minions The Rise of Gru will play at Sea Canyon Park on June 9; Puss & Boots: The Last Wish will play at Sea Terrace Park on June 16; Lyle Lyle Crocodile will be screened at Dana Crest Park on June 23; and Luca will be screened at Sunset Park on June 30.
On June 11, the Dana Point ArtFest returns to the Lantern District. The city’s largest art festival will feature work from more than 80 participating artists from photography, paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, glass art, resin art, jewelry, woodwork and metalwork.
With the start of July also comes Concerts in the Park at Sea Terrace Park. The free, family-friendly concert series begins at 3 p.m. Sundays and features two bands.
Journey USA and Jumping Jack Flash will take the stage on July 9, and Sega Genecide and Flashback Heart Attack will perform on July 16. Fooz Fighters and Led Zepagain are scheduled to take the stage on July 23, followed by Def Leppard Experience band Pyromania and Guns & Roses tribute band Wildshot on July 30.
South Bound and Company’s “Skynyard & Frynds Tribute” and Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band Fortunate Son will perform on Aug. 6, and Common Sense and The Tijuana Dogs will close out the series on Aug. 13.
The city will launch fireworks from a barge off Doheny State Beach’s coastline in celebration of Independence Day at 9 p.m. To listen to special Fourth of July music during the show, visit spotify:bit.ly/DPFireworks.
Amid the slew of summer activities available, however, the Funicular at Strands Beach will likely not be in operation because of mechanical and electrical issues.
A sign posted on the funicular at the top of the Strands Beach stairs notes that the city is “currently in discussions with specialized contractors and working toward a complete funicular overhaul.”
In an email, City Manager Mike Killebrew noted that “at this point, we do not have a time frame to reopen the Funicular. The city is researching what technology is available to ensure proper operation.”
More information on all of the summer activities that Dana Point has to offer can be found on the city’s parks and recreation department website, danapoint.org/department/community-services-and-parks.
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