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NYC’s West Indian parade celebrates Caribbean culture with music, merriment and mayoral candidates

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NYC’s West Indian parade celebrates Caribbean culture with music, merriment and mayoral candidates
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NYC’s West Indian parade celebrates Caribbean culture with music, merriment and mayoral candidates

2025-09-02 08:34 Last Updated At:08:41

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.

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Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

People flee the scene of a double shooting during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

People flee the scene of a double shooting during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

EDS NOTE: NUDITY - A reveler helps a dancer carrying a heavy costume as it begins to lean during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

EDS NOTE: NUDITY - A reveler helps a dancer carrying a heavy costume as it begins to lean during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

FILE - A reveler marches in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - A reveler marches in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - Revelers march at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - Revelers march at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - A reveler poses for a picture during the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - A reveler poses for a picture during the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

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 Sharpton looked on.

Several of Adams’ reelection challengers were also there, including State Assemblyman and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, who swiveled his hips in a traditional Caribbean dance. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running for mayor as an independent, flashed a thumbs up as he made his way along the route. Republican mayoral hopeful Curtis Sliwa waved to the crowd while wearing his trademark red Guardian Angels beret.

The parade also saw increased security after a fatal shooting at last year’s event.

The police department sent thousands of officers, plus helicopters and drones and set up barricades to create a “moat” between marchers and the many spectators lining the nearly 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) Brooklyn parade route, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

It is the department’s largest deployment of the year, Tisch said, with more officers assigned to safeguard the event than were deployed to New Year’s Eve in Times Square or the July Fourth fireworks on the East River.

“We are not going to allow one or two individuals to spoil the festivities,” Adams said at a Friday press briefing, noting that there were no specific or credible threats against the parade.

The annual Labor Day event fills Eastern Parkway from Crown Heights to the Brooklyn Museum. It's the culmination of days of carnival events in the city, which include steel pan band performances and J’Ouvert, a separate street party earlier in the day that commemorates freedom from slavery.

Last year, one person was killed and four others were wounded in the shooting along the parade route. Tisch said Friday that police are still looking for the shooter.

Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

Costumed dancers perform during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

People flee the scene of a double shooting during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

People flee the scene of a double shooting during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

EDS NOTE: NUDITY - A reveler helps a dancer carrying a heavy costume as it begins to lean during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

EDS NOTE: NUDITY - A reveler helps a dancer carrying a heavy costume as it begins to lean during the West Indian Day Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)

FILE - A reveler marches in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - A reveler marches in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - Revelers march at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - Revelers march at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway in the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - A reveler poses for a picture during the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

FILE - A reveler poses for a picture during the West Indian Day Parade on Sept. 2, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rhett Lowder allowed three hits over six innings as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Saturday night, giving the right-hander his first win since 2024 after missing all of last season because of injuries.

Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagán each worked a scoreless inning to wrap up the Reds’ second shutout this season. Pagán matched the early MLB lead with his third save, his second in as many days, benefitting from a double play while walking two and giving up a two-out single.

Cincinnati got their runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart in the first off Kumar Rocker (0-1) before Lowder (1-0) had even thrown the first of his 82 pitches in his second start this season.

Lowder struck out four and gave up two leadoff walks. After allowing back-to-back singles with two outs in the first, the Rangers didn't get another runner to second base against him. He retired 12 of his last 13 batters he faced while lowering his career ERA to 1.30, the lowest for any Reds pitcher in his first eight career starts.

Texas, which has lost its first two home games and three games in a row overall, was held scoreless for the first time.

The seventh overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2023 draft, Lowder made his big league debut in the final month of the 2024 season when he was 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts. He missed all of last season with because of a right forearm strain and then a left oblique strain.

Rocker struck out three in his five innings.

Matt McLain had a one-out single in the Reds first before a wild pitch. De La Cruz drove him home with a broken-bat single, then scored from first when Stewart lined a single into right-center on a hit-ad-run play.

Chase Burns (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who got his first big league win Monday, pitches for the Reds in the series finale Sunday. Jack Leiter (1-0, 3.00) goes for Texas.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) and center fielder Dane Myers (17) react after their team defeated the Texas Rangers 5-3 during the Rangers' home-opener baseball game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) and center fielder Dane Myers (17) react after their team defeated the Texas Rangers 5-3 during the Rangers' home-opener baseball game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Cincinnati Reds' Elly de la Cruz breaks his bat while hitting a single, scoring teammate Matt McLain, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Cincinnati Reds' Elly de la Cruz breaks his bat while hitting a single, scoring teammate Matt McLain, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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