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The 42nd Annual West Indian-American Carnival Parade stepped off at 11 a.m.

Tens of thousands of revelers lined Eastern Parkway to watch dozens of floats, hear the music of 45 bands, and see thousands of people in colorful costumes.

"It's very lively and it's very colorful," said one parade-goer. "Multicultural, what can I say, it's people all over the world. Everybody gets together and just embraces each other."

"It gives me a Caribbean feeling, a real, true Caribbean feeling," said another.

In addition to the music and costumes, many said they came for the food.

"We come mostly for the food," said a parade-goer. "We love the food. We march up and down the parkway and gain weight. March back and lose the weight."

"We love the food, the people, seeing so many nationalities together as one," said another.

Organizers say over the years, the event have evolved to become more inclusive.

"The parade started 42 years ago and it had a strong Trinidadian influence at the time. But it has grown to incorporate all of the Caribbean," said parade President Yolanda Lezama-Clark.

"I get to see everybody from all over the world - all types of different flags, all types of countries, the whole works, everything," said a parade-goer.

The parade has also become a gathering point for political hopefuls and an opportunity to promote community awareness. The themes for this year's parade were "Jump Up for A Cure" and "Jump Up and Be Counted," and organizers hoped to encourage regular cancer screenings and participation in the 2010 census.

The parade ran from Utica Avenue to Grand Army Plaza.