How much of November does the racetrack really take? The 2026 Bing Crosby Season runs from Friday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 29, which reads like a three-and-a-half-week takeover of the 92014 ZIP code. Across those 24 days, horses run on 13 of them. Gates open at 11 a.m., and first post is at 12:30 p.m. on every race day but one.
So apart from Thanksgiving morning, the fall meet covers weekend afternoons and nothing else. Mornings, Mondays through Wednesdays, and most Thursdays go on as usual in the Village. Once you can see the small footprint the meet really has, November gets a lot easier to plan.
Thirteen Race Days on One Calendar
Here is the full November racing schedule from the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, laid out by week.
| Week of | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2 | Opening Day | Race day | Race day | ||||
| Nov. 9 | Race day | Race day | Race day | ||||
| Nov. 16 | Race day | Race day | Race day | ||||
| Nov. 23 | Thanksgiving, 11 a.m. post | Race day | Hollywood Derby | Closing Day |
The first three weekends follow the same Friday-to-Sunday pattern. Thanksgiving week is the only time the meet adds a Thursday, which gives it four race days in a row. It ends on Sunday, Nov. 29, with the Matriarch Stakes. No racing is scheduled on any Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday all month.
Racing takes up the middle of the day on those 13 days, and that sets the next question: which parts of a weekend in Del Mar fall inside the 11 a.m. to late-afternoon window?
Saturday Is Where the Two Calendars Meet
The Del Mar Certified Farmers' Market runs Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1050 Camino Del Mar, all year. The state's market roster dated Oct. 1, 2026, confirms that schedule. The city marked the market's 40th anniversary in August.
Set the market's hours beside the track's and they nearly line up. On Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28, track gates open an hour before the market starts, and first post comes 30 minutes after the first produce stand opens. These four Saturdays are the only days this fall when a standing Village routine and the racetrack share the same hours. Three of them also carry special programming at the track:
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Uncorked Derby Days, a 21-and-over wine tasting at the Seaside Cabana from 1 to 4 p.m. Early admission is $100 and general admission is $84, and both include racetrack admission.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: The Taco & Beer Festival runs from noon to 4 p.m., the same hours as the farmers market. The festival area is open to all attendees, and a five-drink tasting wristband with a souvenir cup costs $17.50.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: The biggest racing card of the meet, led by the Hollywood Derby, a Grade I race, plus the Seabiscuit Handicap and the Jimmy Durante Stakes.
If your Saturday includes both the market and a seat at the track, the shared hours make it a choice of order. Racing goes on through the afternoon after the first post, so a market stop at noon still leaves most of the card ahead.
Thanksgiving Week Moves the Clock Earlier
The meet's one weekday is also its one early start. On Thursday, Nov. 26, gates open at 9:30 a.m. and first post is at 11 a.m. The morning starts even earlier with the Family Fun Run at 8 a.m. Registration and activities begin at 7 a.m. Entry is $24 for ages 16 and up, $16 for ages 4 to 15, and free for children 3 and under, and it includes racetrack admission.
DMTC's shuttle page says shuttles start at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving, which tracks with the earlier post time. From that Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 29, racing runs four days straight, so if you've been planning around three-day weekends, that last stretch runs a day longer than the rest of the month.
There's also one Friday morning when the Village has a reason to be out before the gates open. On Friday, Nov. 13, the Del Mar Village Association runs its Breast Cancer Cheering Station downtown from 8 to 9:30 a.m. to cheer on walkers in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day. It's over well before the track opens at 11.
The Village's Newer Tables Run on Every Day of the Week
On the days without racing, and the mornings of the days with it, Camino Del Mar has more going on than it did this time last year. The newer spots that are already open keep daily hours, so they're open on the quiet weekdays too, and one more is on the way:
- Honor Bar opened at 1404 Camino Del Mar in the space that was long home to Bully's. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in September that it is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Desserts By Clément opened its second San Diego location in Suite 304 at Del Mar Plaza, 1555 Camino Del Mar, and Del Mar Plaza lists its hours as 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
- Queenstown Del Mar has been open at 1435 Camino Del Mar, the former WestBrew space, since May 21, according to the Union-Tribune.
- La La Land Café has signed for the former Pacifica Breeze Café space on Del Mar Plaza's mezzanine terrace. When Del Mar Plaza announced it in August, construction and opening dates were still undetermined.
Honor Bar opens at 11 a.m., the same hour as the track gates. Desserts By Clément stays open to 9 p.m., hours after the last race. The racing schedule takes up the middle of the day, and the Village's hours reach past it on both sides.
If You Do Go, Local Costs
A day at the track in fall costs less than many locals assume. Here's what DMTC lists for the Bing Crosby Season:
- Admission: $8 daily, with grandstand and box seats from $9 to $16. Children 17 and under get in free, subject to DMTC's restrictions.
- Fridays for seniors: Every Friday this fall, guests 62 and older get free admission, a racing program and a seat when they show a valid ID at designated gates.
- Sundays for members: Free & Fun Sundays give Diamond Club members free admission, a program and a seat, plus 25% off select drinks, Brandt Beef hot dogs and sodas.
- Parking: General parking is $15 a day and valet is $30, charged per vehicle at entry with no re-entry. A book of five general-parking passes is $29, which brings parking for five race days below what two single days would cost. The book isn't valid for preferred or valet parking.
- No car: DMTC's transportation pages describe complimentary race-day shuttles from the Solana Beach station, timed to meet Amtrak and Coaster trains. The shuttles return 15 minutes after each race and 30 minutes after the last one. These pages don't name a season year, so check them before you go. Rideshare pickup and drop-off happen at a lot on Jimmy Durante Boulevard. The track is at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.
One Week After Closing Day, the Village Takes Its Weekend Back
The meet closes on Sunday, Nov. 29. The next Sunday, Dec. 6, is the Village's own afternoon. The Del Mar Village Association has scheduled its Winter Taste & Sip downtown from 1 to 4 p.m., with restaurant tastings, beverage stops and live music. Tickets are sold through the event page. North Pole by the Sea runs the same afternoon. It includes a free snow activity at St. Peter's Episcopal Church from 1 to 4 p.m., letters to Santa at Del Mar Plaza from 1 to 5 p.m., carolers and characters around the Village from 1 to 5 p.m., and drinks at the amphitheater from 4 to 6 p.m.
The day ends with the Holiday Tree Lighting at 5 p.m. at the Jim Watkins Amphitheater at L'Auberge Del Mar, with hot chocolate, adult beverages, Santa and the Grinch.
Part of knowing Del Mar is knowing which days the track is busy and which mornings are still yours, and that knowledge counts for just as much when you're thinking about a home here. If you're weighing a move within Del Mar or nearby, or you want to talk about how the town's seasonal calendar plays into buying or selling, I'm happy to walk through it with you. Let's connect. Aaron Castagna
