Mary Stewart Sullivan, 11, a fifth grader at Pace Academy, at left, waves to the crowd from Santa’s float at the Macy’s Day Parade in New York City. Mary, from Buckhead, portrays “Virginia” in the musical “Yes, Virginia,” based on the classic Christmas story and developed by Macy’s. She took part in the parade with other cast members who came from as far as California and Canada.

Joe Earle is Editor-at-Large. He has more than 30-years of experience with daily newspapers, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was Managing Editor of Reporter Newspapers. More by Joe Earle