NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade, one of the world’s largest celebrations of Caribbean culture, kicked off Monday with vibrant costumes, colorful flags and the sounds of soca and reggae music.

Along with crowds of hundreds of thousands of people, the parade has long been a magnet for local politicians, many of whom have West Indian heritage or represent members of the city’s large Caribbean community. With a mayoral election looming in November, the political overlap was particularly evident this year as rival candidates jockeyed for attention and support.

Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent this fall; and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul cut a ceremonial ribbon at the start of the parade as the civil rights leader the Rev. Al Shar

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