Thanksgiving in Laguna Beach

What changes on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026. The city’s holiday notices are short, and each one comes from a different page, so this page gathers them.

Trash and recycling. The city’s holiday table says there is no trash and recycling pickup on Thanksgiving Day, and that pickup is delayed by one day for the rest of the week. The same table lists the day after Thanksgiving as a pickup day, so the two entries do not line up neatly. The table prints no year, so read the city’s holiday schedule before the week, call CR&R at (949) 662-3819, or see the trash and recycling guide to confirm your own day. The table also lists no residential street sweeping on Thanksgiving Day or the day after.

City Hall. The city’s 2026 calendar, which its City Hall Hours page links as the closure calendar, marks November 25 and 26 as the Thanksgiving holiday. It also shades Friday, November 27 as one of the closed Fridays. City Hall normally keeps Monday to Thursday hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Trolley and Laguna Local. The city’s transit holiday table lists no trolley and no Laguna Local service on Thanksgiving Day. The table prints no year, so check the city’s trolley page before the holiday. The table has no row for the Friday after. The city’s posted off-season schedule runs the Coastal Route on Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Laguna Local from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Saturdays the Coastal Route runs from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The getting around guide explains both services.

Parking. The city’s parking page gives enforcement hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and lists no holiday exception, so do not assume meters are free. See the parking guide for lots and permits.

At the beach

The city’s beach rules do not change for the holiday. Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach at any time of day in fall, winter and spring, except at Thousand Steps Beach. Alcohol is not allowed on city beaches even for guests 21 and older, smoking is not allowed, and fires are prohibited. Beaches north of Aliso Creek close from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. The beach rules guide lists the rest.

Sawdust Winter Fantasy opens November 20

Sawdust lists Winter Fantasy as five three-day weekends from November 20 to December 20, 2026, open Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 935 Laguna Canyon Road. It posts no separate Thanksgiving hours. Sawdust points visitors to Lot 16 at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, where parking was $5 a day as of October 2026, with a free trolley to the festival. Dates, tickets and rules are on the Sawdust Winter Fantasy page.

Thanksgiving dinner at restaurants

Restaurants post holiday menus on their own sites, and some post later than others. As of October 28, 2026, these two businesses had posted November 26, 2026 dinners on their own sites.

• Montage Laguna Beach, 30801 Coast Highway. Its Thanksgiving page prints no year, but its own reservation link for the Grand Ballroom feast is dated November 26, 2026. The page lists lunch at Mosaic Bar and Grille from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Grand Ballroom feast seatings at noon, 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., holiday specials at The Loft from 3 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. and dinner at Studio Mediterranean from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The resort lists the Grand Ballroom feast at $275 per adult and $65 per child ages 5 to 12 as of October 2026, before tax and service charge, and it says programming may change. Reservations are required. Montage’s Thanksgiving page has the rest.
• Harvest at The Ranch at Laguna Beach, 31106 Coast Highway. The Ranch lists Thanksgiving at Harvest on November 26, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with a dinner menu and a brunch menu linked from its page. Reservations go through OpenTable. The Ranch’s Thanksgiving page has the menus.

Other restaurants may post later. The Eat & drink section lists restaurants by area and cuisine, and each restaurant’s own site is the place to confirm a holiday menu and hours.

Races and community meals

The Chamber of Commerce’s November 2026 calendar lists no events from November 23 to 30, so this page lists no Thanksgiving race or community dinner.

The weeks after

The holiday calendar continues in December. The Chamber of Commerce lists First Thursdays Art Walk on December 3 and Hospitality Night on December 4, 2026. The holiday events guide covers the full season, and the Christmas page covers closures and services around December 24 and 25. The November guide covers weather and daylight for the month.