Mermade Market, an ocean-close artisan-filled favorite, will come ashore in May

Dana Point Harbor glitters during the holiday season, thanks to its popular, social-media-ized "Merry Kiss Me" sign and fanciful boat parade, and in September?

Those regal tall ships sail by, giving lovers of ye olde marine tales a cannon-loud thrill.

But it feels like the scenic area truly embraces its splashiest self in the springtime.

The on-land whales lead the way in early March — okay, they're not real whales, but rather giant inflatables that serve as symbols of a grand festival parade — and whale-watching tours are out daily, all to celebrate the gargantuan grays.

It's an ideal time for a sizable artisan market, one that brims with beautiful jewelry, greeting cards, home goods, and whimsical wearables, to set up salty shop just steps from the water.

That pop-up is the Mermade Market, and it will come ashore at the Ocean Institute on May 3, 4, and 5.

Entry is as free as a briny breeze, so save your funds for fun finds, perhaps goodies for Mother's Day, graduation, or Father's Day. Or, really, any of the fall and winter holidays, which will only be six months out from early May, as hard as that might be to believe.

Adding to the ebullient spirit?

Some of the makers will be selling inside the destination's fascinating whale room, while a "rotating" scene will be taking place outside, with a changing roster of 35 to 40 makers daily.

Good to know: The goods sold won't necessarily all have a marine theme, but finding the occasional seabird or dolphin pictured on a t-shirt or handmade mug isn't out of the question.

Nor is the joy of browsing for unique finds on a May Gray kind of day.

Will it be foggy and brisk in early May in Dana Point?

That's certainly one of the coastal community's many charms: A heavy springtime marine layer, which can add an atmospheric mood to everything, including this charmer of a twice-a-year market.