The 59th Annual Santa Barbara Holiday Parade rolled down State Street on Friday night to the delight of tens of thousands of cheering spectators.
Sponsored by the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization, the parade started at Sola Street and continued to Cota Street, passing by a Santa Barbara tradition, a 40-foot Douglas fir in the 1300 block of State Street.
The parade featured floats, balloons, marching bands and a fire truck carrying the five finalists of the 2011 Goleta Teen of the Year contest. Professional surfer Lakey Peterson was this year’s grand marshal and Santa Claus himself even came along for the ride.
— Photographer Fritz Olenberger is a frequent Noozhawk contributor. Click here to see more of his work.