The Santa Barbara Downtown Organization announced Monday that celebrity chef Cat Cora will serve as this year’s celebrity grand marshal for the 58th annual Downtown Holiday Parade.

The parade will make its way down State Street from Sola Street to Cota Streeet beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 amid marching bands, floats and performance groups.

Cora, a Santa Barbara resident, is a celebrity chef best known for her featured role on the Food Network television show Iron Chef America. She is also the author of three cookbooks: Cat Cora’s Kitchen, Cooking From the Hip and her newest book, Cat Cora’s Classics with a Twist.

Cora is the founder of Chefs for Humanity, a group of culinary professionals working to fight hunger, and provide food nutrition education, emergency food relief and humanitarian aid worldwide.

As if being a busy mom of four boys all younger than age 7 isn’t enough, Cora has numerous endeavors launching in 2011, including programming on Oprah Winfrey’s new OWN network, her Cat Cora by Starfrit cookware and serveware collection, and an upcoming line of olive oils, tapenades and sauces created with GAEA, a leader in Mediterranean Greek cuisine.

The parade also will feature the Holiday Prince and Fairy riding in a horse-drawn carriage, and Santa Claus will conclude the festivities.

For more information, click here or call the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization at 805.962.2098 x24.

— Mary Lynn Harms is marketing director of the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization.