The 56th annual Downtown Holiday Parade will again amuse more than 40,000 spectators at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5 as giant helium balloons float down State Street amid marching bands, floats, performance groups and Celebrity Grand Marshal Brian Baumgartner.

Baumgartner portrays Dunder Mifflin accountant Kevin Malone on NBC’s The Office, winner of television’s best comedic ensemble by the Screen Actors Guild for the second year in a row.

Baumgartner’s TV appearances include roles on Jake in Progress, Arrested Development and Everwood. He can also be seen in Ken Kwapis’ License to Wed and the forthcoming features Into Temptation opposite Jeremy Sisto and Kristin Chenoweth and Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.

The parade will also feature the Holiday Prince & Fairy riding in a horse drawn carriage with Scrooge and Tiny Tim. Then, at the end of the parade, the arrival of Santa Claus.

The parade is free and begins on State Street at Sola Street and concludes at Cota Street. For more information, contact the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization at 805.962.2098, ext. 24, or click here.

Mary Lynn Harms is marketing director for the Downtown Organization.