November 23-26, 2006 – The driving rain and high winds that kept the balloons flying a bit lower than usual didn’t stop celebrities from greeting their fans in New York City at the 2006 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. 71-year-old Julie Andrews was a trooper, enduring the hideous weather atop a Mother Goose float. Barry Manilow’s float was empty for most of the parade route, with the 63-year-old singer reportedly jumping on at 37th Street to ride just the few final blocks to Macy’s. Emmitt Smith, fresh from his "Dancing With the Stars" win, rode the NFL float.
Younger stars also dodged the raindrops – after all, children are the parade’s biggest fans. R&B crooners Chris Brown and Ciara warmed teen hearts, while Hannah Montana queen Miley Cyrus delighted the little ones. The young stars of hit TV show "High School Musical" thrilled the tween set, like Gloria Estefan’s daughter Emily, who rode along with mom on her float!
The "High School Musical" gang - Ashley Tisdale, Monique Coleman and Corbin Bleu – did double parade duty over the holiday weekend, also turning up at Sunday’s Hollywood Christmas Parade. Those weight-conscious Hollywood types skipped the turkey-gorging theme and opted to celebrate Christmas shopping instead. Nicollette Sheridan and Michael Bolton, Hulk Hogan, Janice Dickinson and Regis Philbin snaked among the palm trees lining Sunset Boulevard to kick off the season, Hollywood style.
