Why Del Mar's November Now Bends Toward Thanksgiving Week
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
The Bing Crosby Season opens Friday, November 6, a week later than last fall, and runs 13 race days instead of 16. With fewer days and a later start, the meet's busiest stretch is now Thanksgiving week. Upstairs at Del Mar Plaza, Pacifica Del Mar is heading into its final weeks. The restaurant has hosted racetrack visitors since 1989, and it closes in December. So the last big race weekend of the year and Pacifica's last holiday weekend are the same weekend. Meanwhile, the new places are arriving on sites that held their previous tenants for decades.
Here's how the month lays out, and what's changing on Camino Del Mar while it plays out.
Last year's fall meet ran from Thursday, October 30 to Sunday, November 30, with 16 race days. This year, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club calendar lists November 6 through 29, though the track's August press release gives the opener as November 7, so check the track's site before opening day. Racing runs Friday through Sunday for three weekends, then Thursday through Sunday over Thanksgiving.
That makes four of the 13 race days fall in a single week. The track's Thanksgiving announcement sets first post at 12:30 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving, when racing starts at 11 a.m. The FanDuel Racing Turf Festival runs November 26 through 29. It opens Thanksgiving Day with the Red Carpet Stakes and moves to the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup on Friday. Saturday, November 28 brings three graded stakes: the G1 Hollywood Derby, the G2 Seabiscuit and the G3 Jimmy Durante. Closing day, November 29, has four stakes races, led by the G1 Matriarch.
The first three weekends are lighter, and the Fairgrounds and the Village have filled the gaps in between:
Pacifica Del Mar opened in 1989 as one of the first businesses in the then-new Del Mar Plaza, at Camino Del Mar and 15th Street. The Coast News described it as a destination for Del Mar Racetrack visitors, regular weeknight diners, and birthdays, anniversaries and wedding receptions. The paper also noted that the menu still carries some dishes from opening day, including the sugar-spiced salmon.
The restaurant announced its closing on May 15. As The Coast News reported, its statement said:
"Since opening in 1989, Pacifica Del Mar has been more than just a restaurant — it has been a gathering place, a tradition, and a part of the fabric of Del Mar and North County for nearly four decades."
According to the same report, Del Mar Plaza chose not to renew the lease. The Plaza said it had already selected a new restaurant operator and would announce it later. The restaurant also credited its long-tenured staff, with many team members past 10 years and several past 30.
The timing matters here. The closing month is December, and no final day of service has been announced. That means the Turf Festival weekend is likely the last time Pacifica's dining room overlaps with a race crowd. If you have a standing Thanksgiving-weekend reservation there, call ahead to confirm hours, since the restaurant's website still shows its regular weekly specials.
As for what comes next, SanDiegoVille reported in May that Water Grill was slated for the space and suggested 2027 at the earliest. The same item noted that Water Grill had not announced plans or a timeline. Until the Plaza names its operator, treat that as a report rather than a done deal.
Pacifica's smaller sibling went first. Pacifica Breeze Cafe, a separate casual breakfast and coffee spot at the Plaza, closed in late April. In August, Plaza owner Brixton Capital announced that La La Land Café had signed a lease for that space. It's the southwest corner of the mezzanine, with 1,168 square feet indoors and seating and queueing space that extends onto the terrace deck. The coffee and matcha brand has grown to more than 30 locations since it was founded in 2019. Construction and opening dates have not been set.
That leaves the Plaza's upper levels in transition this month. Pacifica is in its final weeks, the café corner is waiting on construction, and some newer tenants are filling in around them. Desserts By Clément opened in June in Suite 304, open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tamarindo, a 2021 arrival, marked its fifth anniversary at the Plaza in October.
On Camino Del Mar, the 2026 turnover is already done, and it happened on sites with even longer histories. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in September that Honor Bar has opened at 1404 Camino Del Mar. That's the former Bully's site, which closed in 2017 after a 48-year run. The building with the white brick facade was demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. Honor Bar comes from Hillstone Restaurant Group, the company behind Houston's, Gulfstream in Newport Beach and Rutherford Grill in Napa. Per the U-T, it's open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It's cashless, takes no reservations and prefers parties of four or fewer. On a race-day evening, that means walking in early.
A block away, Queenstown Del Mar opened May 21 at 1435 Camino Del Mar. The U-T described New Zealand-influenced food, a full bar, weekday happy hour, weekend brunch and a dog menu.
Put side by side, the changes look like this:
| Address | Longtime occupant | Status this November |
|---|---|---|
| 1404 Camino Del Mar | Bully's, closed 2017 after 48 years | Honor Bar, open since September |
| 1435 Camino Del Mar | Queenstown Del Mar, open since May 21 | |
| 1555 Camino Del Mar, mezzanine café | Pacifica Breeze Cafe, closed late April | La La Land Café leased; opening date not set |
| 1555 Camino Del Mar, main restaurant | Pacifica Del Mar, open since 1989 | Closing in December; new operator not yet named |
Bully's was rebuilt over a long stretch, and the Village went about a decade without that corner. Breeze closed in April and La La Land has signed, but construction hasn't started. If those timelines are any guide, Pacifica's space may sit quiet for a while after it closes.
After the meet closes on November 29, the Village's next big day comes one week later. On Sunday, December 6, the Del Mar Village Association holds Winter Taste & Sip from 1 to 4 p.m., with tastes from local restaurants, beverage stops, music and family activities. The participant lists still read "Coming soon." North Pole By The Sea runs alongside it from 1 to 5 p.m. There's snow at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, plus letters to Santa, carolers and costumed characters. The annual tree lighting follows at 5 p.m. at the Jim Watkins Amphitheater at L'Auberge Del Mar.
Five days later, Coastal Christmas opens at the Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., on December 11. The listing includes a light trail, synthetic-ice skating, Santa photos and igloos.
That makes December 6 the first big Village gathering after Pacifica's final weeks begin. The restaurant list for Winter Taste & Sip will show which of the Village's newer rooms, Honor Bar and Queenstown among them, choose to take part. Event pages change, so check the organizer's listing before you head out.
If you own near the Plaza or along Camino Del Mar and wonder how this year's changes affect what your home is worth, Adrienne Mineiro follows these blocks closely and can give you a clear, local answer. Let's connect for a free home valuation.
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