What's New in Edmonds This November: Marina Holiday Lights, Park Closures, and a Waterfront Corner to Watch

November is when Edmonds shifts into its holiday mode, but two bigger stories are moving underneath it. The waterfront lost a 45-year restaurant in September, the Port of Edmonds is mid-way through a marina rebuild, and there is real park work to plan around this month. Here is the useful part, pulled from the city's own pages, the Port, and local reporting, current as of early November 2026.

A waterfront institution closed its doors

Arnies Restaurant at 300 Admiral Way, in the Landing building on the Edmonds waterfront, closed permanently on September 21 after 45 years in business. The sign posted on the door said that after 45 years of service, the current business climate did not allow them to continue. The Edmonds location was the last of the brand, since the Mukilteo sister restaurant closed in 2023. For anyone who lives near the water or is weighing a move here, that corner matters: it is the highest-profile restaurant space on the Edmonds waterfront, and who fills it will say a lot about where the Bowl is heading.

The marina is getting rebuilt, and then it lights up

The mid-marina breakwater restoration secured $412,000 in state funding and construction is underway, part of the Port's push to harden the waterfront against storm damage. It sits alongside the North Portwalk and Seawall Reconstruction, a roughly $30 million program; the commission awarded the $2.5 million Phase II contract to TRICO Companies in June, with work estimated to begin around the end of this year. Much of this is underwater and behind the scenes, but it is the work that keeps the marina usable for the next few decades.

Two travel notes while the work continues. Kingston ferry sailings have been departing about 10 minutes late on some fall runs because of terminal construction on the Kingston side, so give yourself a buffer if you commute on the boat. And the Christmas Ship Festival runs November 27 through December 23, with Argosy Cruises' lighted boats sailing past the Edmonds waterfront on winter evenings.

Holiday lights at the marina and downtown

• Holiday on the Docks runs December 1 through January 3 at the Port of Edmonds Marina, with decorated, illuminated boats on display at the docks every night.
• Holiday Night at the Marina is Thursday, December 10, 6 to 8 PM, with live music, food trucks, and free hot drinks among the decorated boats.
• The Edmonds Museum Holiday Market starts this Saturday, November 7, and runs Saturdays through December 19, 9 AM to 2 PM at 118 5th Avenue North.
• The Tree Lighting is Saturday, November 28 at Centennial Plaza, the first annual Luminaria Walk follows at Civic Park, and the Claus Crawl closes out the season Thursday, December 4.

Park work and closures to know

The Yost Reservoir construction began the week of October 26, and because the reservoir sits beneath the pickleball and tennis courts at Yost Park, both courts are closed to the public during the work. Contractors planned to start bringing equipment to the park around November 2, and the city must drain the reservoir as part of the job. That can cause temporary water discoloration for some households; it is a known part of the project, not a reason to worry.

Southwest County Park, the roughly 120-acre county park near the Edmonds and Lynnwood line, is closed indefinitely. Snohomish County made the call in late October after determining most of the park's red alders have reached the end of their natural life, around 75 years old, and are at risk of falling. It is a safety closure, so plan around it.

One free thing worth doing: Tree-mendous Edmonds returns Saturday, November 7 at City Park, with 700 free native trees and shrubs for residents, put on with Edmonds Stewards. It is the fifth year and it goes fast.

City business this week

The city held a public hearing on November 2 over proposed 2027-29 utility rate increases: water up 9.75 percent, sewer up 7.5 percent, and stormwater up 6.5 percent in 2027. The council is also working through Mayor Mike Rosen's proposed $249.5 million 2027-28 biennial budget, with adoption scheduled for November 24. The mayor has been straightforward that the city still faces a financial gap beyond 2028, so expect these conversations to continue into next year.

On the housing side, the council extended the interim ordinance protecting landmark trees, those 30 inches or larger in trunk diameter, while a permanent tree code is drafted, and it approved a 10-year agreement for the Yost Pool. If you are buying a treed lot or a home near the pool, both are directly relevant to your decision.

Bottom line

The waterfront is changing, the marina is being rebuilt and then dressed up for the holidays, and the city is making real spending decisions. For buyers and residents, the useful takeaway is simple: the holiday market starts this Saturday, Yost Park's courts and Southwest County Park are the only real closures to plan around, and the ferry is running a touch late on some sailings. If you are weighing a move to Edmonds, this is the town at its busiest, and a good time to see it.