Last fall, Del Mar's racing season opened on Oct. 30 and took over the town's attention by Halloween weekend, when the Breeders' Cup came to the seaside oval. This year the 13th Bing Crosby Season opens Friday, Nov. 6, and closes Sunday, Nov. 29.
That leaves a long stretch of October and early November without the track at its center. In 2026 that stretch is full. The Village has a four-day surf festival, a new restaurant on one of Camino Del Mar's best-known corners, and a holiday calendar that picks up a week after the last race.
The Meet Arrives Later and Runs Shorter
According to Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the 2026 meet "begins a week later than last year" and runs 13 days. Here is how this season compares with the Breeders' Cup year.
| 2025 Bing Crosby Season | 2026 Bing Crosby Season | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Oct. 30 to Nov. 30 | Nov. 6 to Nov. 29 |
| Racing days | 16 | 13 |
| Stakes races | 20 | 15 |
| Championship event | Breeders' Cup, Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 | None scheduled |
Without a championship weekend on the schedule, the meet is a compact, four-weekend season. Races run Friday through Sunday, plus Thanksgiving Day. The weeks before opening day belong to the Village.
October Runs on Free Events Within Walking Distance
The Surf Del Mar Festival begins today, Oct. 8, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 11. The Del Mar Historical Society presents it, and the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that every event in the four-day program is free. The festival uses four downtown venues: Del Mar Plaza, St. Peter's Parish Hall, L'Auberge and Powerhouse Park. Three anchor events stand out:
- Friday, Oct. 9, 5:30 p.m.: A free screening of Bustin' Down the Door followed by a Q&A with surfing legend Shaun Tomson at St. Peter's Parish Hall, 334 14th St.
- Saturday, Oct. 10, about 6:30 p.m.: A picnic and free screening of Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer on the lawn at Powerhouse Park.
- Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m.: Surf photographer Jeff Devine signs his newest book, Divine Surf!, at L'Auberge.
Between those, the program includes a Surfing and Sustainability Climate Symposium, an Art Walk, a Film Festival, a Surfwriters' Book Fair, a Women on Waves speaking engagement, live music, a Woody Wagon Parade and display, and a tribute to Don Hansen.
The Del Mar Fairgrounds fills the rest of the month at a different scale. Pumpkin Station runs through Oct. 31 in the East Parking Lot. Admission and parking are free, and rides and attractions cost extra. The Fall Home/Garden Show follows on Oct. 17 and 18 in O'Brien Hall.
The last ocean event before the meet is the Del Mar BodySurf Festival at Powerhouse Park, listed for Sunday, Nov. 1. Last year, that weekend was Breeders' Cup weekend. This year it falls five days before first post.
A Different Corner of Camino Del Mar
The Village's dining map has also changed since last fall, and the biggest change sits on one of its oldest corners.
Honor Bar Del Mar is now open at 1404 Camino Del Mar. Bully's held that address until it closed in 2017 after a 48-year run. The Union-Tribune's September report says the white brick building was demolished entirely and the restaurant rebuilt from the ground up. The new brick building has a sunken patio off Camino Del Mar, yellow umbrellas and a vintage-style pole sign.
Honor Bar comes from the Hillstone Restaurant Group, which also runs Houston's and Gulfstream in Newport Beach. Del Mar joins Honor Bar locations in Beverly Hills, Dallas, Montecito and Palm Beach. A few practical details for a first visit:
- Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Reservations: None taken, but guests can call ahead to join a wait list.
- Payment: Cashless.
- Party size: The restaurant prefers parties of four or fewer.
- Dress code: Enforced. The posted guidelines rule out sportswear, backwards hats and flip flops.
- Parking: Below the restaurant, reached from the alley off 13th Street.
The menu is short. It includes Osaka-style pressed sushi, the Honor Burger with cheddar and coleslaw, a French dip, and cedar plank salmon. On weekends the bar also pours the Kickstart, its take on a Bloody Mary. Details are on Honor Bar's Del Mar page.
A block away, Queenstown Del Mar opened on May 21 at 1435 Camino Del Mar, in the former WestBrew space. It serves New Zealand-influenced food and cocktails.
One longtime option is closed for the season. Market Restaurant and Sushi Lounge on Via de la Valle closed on Sept. 21 for a remodel, and demolition is underway. The restaurant has been open for 20 years and has been recognized by the Michelin Guide. Its new owners took over in 2025, and their website promises new interiors, expanded dining spaces and a new menu. The reopening is set for spring 2027, so it will miss the whole racing meet and the holidays. Market posts updates at marketdelmar.com.
Thirteen Racing Days, With the Weight on the Turf
When the meet opens on Nov. 6, it has a clear emphasis. Nine of the 15 stakes races are on the grass. David Jerkens, Del Mar's senior vice president for racing, explained the thinking in the club's August announcement:
"We've got one of the best turf courses in the country, and we put a real emphasis on it for our fall meet. Our lineup is the best in America during that period."
First post is 12:30 p.m. Friday cards normally run eight races, and weekend cards run nine. Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, is the exception. Its eight-race card starts at 11 a.m. and finishes around 2 p.m., which leaves the afternoon free for dinner.
Most of the stakes action is packed into the final weekend. The Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup runs Friday, Nov. 27. The $300,000 Grade I Hollywood Derby and the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap run Saturday, Nov. 28. The $300,000 Grade I Matriarch Stakes closes the meet on Sunday, Nov. 29.
The club's event calendar spreads its promotions across the four weekends:
- Every week: Jockey Box Fridays and Free & Fun Sundays.
- Nov. 14: Uncorked Derby Days, with more than 100 wines, food vendors and music.
- Nov. 21: The Taco & Beer Festival.
- Nov. 22: Toys for Tots.
- Nov. 26: A Family Fun Run on Thanksgiving morning.
- Nov. 27: Family Fun Day.
- Nov. 26 to 29: The FanDuel Racing Turf Festival.
December Hands the Season Back to the Village
The Del Mar Village Association's biggest event of the year comes one week after closing day. Winter Taste & Sip runs Sunday, Dec. 6, from 1 to 4 p.m. downtown. It features more than 15 tastes from local restaurants, more than 20 sips from regional wineries and breweries, live music, and photos with Santa at Del Mar Plaza. The association says it draws more than 2,000 guests.
The afternoon ends with the annual holiday tree lighting at 5 p.m. at the Jim Watkins Amphitheater at L'Auberge Del Mar, with hot chocolate, Santa and the Grinch. The DMVA's holiday events page also lists North Pole By The Sea that day from 1 to 5 p.m., with family events throughout the Village: letters to Santa, photoshoot stations, characters and carolers.
Five days later, the Fairgrounds starts its own holiday season. Coastal Christmas opens Dec. 11 at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. It offers a light trail, synthetic-ice skating, Santa photos, food and drink, a holiday market and private igloos. The opening date is confirmed, but the full schedule of nights is on the event's ticket calendar.
In practice, the season runs like this. The Village has October and the first week of November, with the surf festival, Pumpkin Station and the BodySurf Festival. The track has four weekends at the end of November. Then the Village takes back December, starting with Winter Taste & Sip on Dec. 6.
For Del Mar owners, the stretch between the last race on Nov. 29 and spring can be a good time to think about a lease for next summer's season or about selling in 2027. YJ Luxury Realty offers quiet, well-informed guidance for both, built on close knowledge of the Village and its calendar. Request a Private Consultation whenever you're ready.
