Laguna Beach Centennial

What the centennial marks

The City of Laguna Beach says it was founded on June 29, 1927, so June 29, 2027, is the hundredth anniversary. The Laguna Beach Historical Society’s chronology adds the setting: Coast Highway opened between Laguna Beach and Newport in 1926, and the next year the town incorporated. The society calls it the first incorporated city in South Orange County and says residents were concerned about the visitors the highway would bring.

The same chronology says the Laguna Beach Art Association was founded by local artists in 1918 and lists a population of 363 in 1920. The city’s current About page gives a population of 23,000 and six million visitors a year. For the full story, see Laguna Beach history and the facts page.

The years around 1927

The Historical Society’s chronology gives a sense of the town the city incorporated:

• 1904: the town’s name went back to Laguna Beach from Lagona.
• 1913: Pomona College opened a marine laboratory across from Main Beach.
• 1915: electric power reached the village and the canyon road was paved.
• 1918: local artists founded the Art Association.
• 1920: the town had 363 residents, and the Community Clubhouse went up on Ocean Avenue; the chronology says it was later renamed the Laguna Playhouse and moved to Broadway.
• 1926: Coast Highway opened from Laguna Beach to Newport.
• 1927: Laguna Beach incorporated.
• 1932: the first Festival of the Arts was held, which led to the Pageant of the Masters. See Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters.

What the city has announced

The city’s Recreation Department has a Centennial page. It invites the community to celebrate Laguna Beach on June 29, 2027, and describes a year-long celebration starting in January 2027. It ends with a line saying more information is to come. It names no events, times or locations.

The city’s June 29 date falls on a Tuesday.

Another June date

Laguna Beach Sister Cities lists the next Fête de la Musique for Saturday, June 19, 2027. That music day is a separate event with its own times, covered in Fête de la Musique.

What is not posted yet

As of October 28, 2026, the city’s centennial page lists no schedule of events, no venues and no street closures. It lists no parking or trolley arrangements for June 29, 2027. The city’s trolley page shows off-season routes through June 25, 2027, and no summer 2027 routes, so the summer schedule is not known yet.

Dates to keep

• January 2027: the year-long celebration begins, per the city. No day is posted.
• June 19, 2027: Fête de la Musique, presented by Laguna Beach Sister Cities.
• June 25, 2027: the last day of the city’s current off-season trolley schedule.
• June 29, 2027: the city’s celebration date, 100 years after the founding date the city gives.

Planning around the date

The June guide lists what is on that month, and the summer art festivals page covers the festival season. Check the trolley page and the parking guide once the city posts its summer 2027 schedule.

Where to follow updates

The city’s Centennial page is the source for dates. The city also keeps a calendar of meetings and events.