NATIONAL BRIEFING / NEW YORK

Revelers gathered in Brooklyn to celebrate Caribbean culture at the West Indian American Day parade, as bright beaded costumes and feather headdresses also provided a lively backdrop for politicking.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, running for a third term after laws were changed to allow it, led the parade with the grand marshal, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, a native New Yorker of Jamaican descent. Powell endorsed the mayor’s reelection bid at a news conference before the parade.

City Comptroller William Thompson Jr., a Democratic mayoral candidate, marched behind with Gov. David Paterson, with supporters chanting “No third term.” Other candidates for city council and public advocate handed out fliers and shook hands with spectators.

“There are more and more dignitaries,” said Lenny Smith, who attends every year. “I think many of us would like to see the costumes.”