The magic of the holidays will come alive as the 59th Annual Downtown Holiday Parade strolls down State Street to entertain and amaze children and families from near and far. 

At 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2, the much-anticipated Holiday Parade will once again amuse more than 50,000 spectators as giant helium balloons float down State Street amid magnificent marching bands, fabulous floats and spectacular performance groups in elaborate, colorful costumes to charm the audience.

Kicking off the parade, watch for the Holiday Prince & Fairy riding in a horse-drawn carriage. The Holiday Prince and Fairy were carefully selected by a panel of judges based on works of art submitted by children ages 6 to 10 who drew, painted and colored their interpretation of the holidays. This year’s art contest set a new record for number of entries.

The winners are 7-year-old Prince Diego Velazquez Jimenez and 10-year-old Fairy Ally Mintzer.

They have one of the most important jobs in the parade — lighting the 45-foot Douglas fir Community Holiday Tree near the historic Arlington Theatre. In keeping with tradition, the prince and fairy will waive their magic wands and spectacularly the tree will illuminate State Street, signifying the official start of the parade and the holiday season.

Professional surfer Lakey Peterson will serve as the celebrity grand marshal.

The parade, with the theme “Holiday Dreams,” is sponsored by the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization and will begin at 6:30 p.m. on State Street at Sola Street and conclude at Cota Street.

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

— Kim Mercado represents the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization.