KENTUCKY DERBY
LOUISVILLE, KY, MAY 1

Pink Lady
Peeking out from under a straw hat, Southern belle Jessica Simpson shows off her chic chapeau with husband Nick Lachey at the big May Day race. When the diva showed her horse sense by saying she'd bet on "anybody pink," Lachey said, " A pink horse?"

Bets and the City
A brim and proper Kim Cattrall enjoys her panoramic view at Churchill Downs. The actress had even sharper foresight: She won $3,000 for betting on Derby winner Smarty Jones in honor of her Sex and the City character, Samantha Jones.

Rail Thin
Talk about lean! A svelte Anna Nicole Smith looks fetching in pink-and-white frills. "This is the first time I've ever had a stylist come down and help me pick my outfit," said Smith, adding that her love life has yet to catch up to her streamlined wardrobe. "I'm waiting for someone to call. No one's calling."

Lights, Camera...Action Figures! LOS ANGELES, MAY 3
Showing off his skills in self-defense, Hugh Jackman spars with two of the action figures from his monster-slaying flick Van Helsing at its premiere. "Our stunt coordinator was like the leader of a cult. He could make me do anything. It was pretty intense," the Aussie actor said of the film's exhausting shoot.

Ace of Clubs BOULDER CITY, NEV., MAY 2
Heather Locklear puckers up after she, Tom Arnold, Kenny G and Joe Pesci win Michael Douglas's team golf event, raising almost $1 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

Jerry's 50? Get Out! NEW YORK CITY, APRIL 28
Birthday boy Jerry Seinfeld is bowled over by a surprise bash for his 50th birthday, thrown by wife Jessica (with their 3-year-old daughter Saseha) at the Rainbow Room. Well-wishers included Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, Regis Philbin and Tony Bennett, who regaled the comic with renditions of "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "Fly Me to the Moon." Seinfeld also got a huge cake depicting a few of his favorite things—like hot dogs, a Porsche and Manhattan's Central Park.

Friends in Bye Places LOS ANGELES
No tearful goodbyes here: At the Hotel Bel-Air, Oprah Winfrey (center) hosts a reunion of the Friends cast (from left): Lisa Kudrow, Matthew perry, Courteney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. Oprah's interview airs on her talk show May 7, the day after the serious finale. Says Winfrey: "I'm the other Friend—finally."

CARNIVAL CRUISE
NEW YORK CITY, MAY 1

Power Players
At the Kids for Kids Celebrity Carnival, Molly Sims mugs with the Power Rangers. The event raised over $1.3 million for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Wise Guise
After trip to the face-painter, James Gandolfini glowers as the Incredible Hulk, while his son Michael, 4, flaunts his Spidey sense. The duo also played Skee-Ball and goofed around with a sword-shaped balloon.

Wake Up, Little Snoozy!
Brooke Shields cradles her 11-month-old daughter Rowan, who opts for a quick power nap. "We were looking at the balloons and she was so excited. Then we got in here and she fell asleep," said Shields, who manned a story-telling station.

Tied to Her Apron Strings
Domesticated bachelor Bob Guiney takes a break from making cartoon character buttons for kids to get a hug from his girlfriend, All My Children's Rebecca Budig.

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER
WASHINGTON, D.C., MAY 1

Political Party
Emcee Jay Leno warms up the crowd, which included President Bush, saying, "Ben Affleck was talking to Secret Service agents about hiring a bomb-sniffing dog to go through his scripts."

Private Ryan
On her way into the gala, an elegant Meg Ryan, in an Azzedine Alaïa gown and a Neil Lane diamond bracelet, scores points by waving to fans outside the Hilton Hotel.

Approach Shot
A self-proclaimed Kwame Jackson fan, Serena Williams asks The Apprentice runner-up to pose for a photo op. "My managers weren't allowed to schedule any matches on Thursday evenings so I wouldn't miss the [show]," she told him.

Public Display of Affleck-tion
"You're even more beautiful than in your photos," says Ben Affleck as he hugs former POW Jessica Lynch after kissing her forehead and cheeks. At the Bloomberg afterparty Lynch told PEOPLE the actor is her "new heartthrob."