By Selma Mayor George Evans

On behalf of city government and the citizens of Selma, I extend a warm welcome to our visitors from near and far who have come to Selma to participate in the Bridge Crossing Jubilee and to commemorate the 48th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches.

This is the time of year when Selma unrolls the red carpet for the tens of thousands of visitors from around the world who come to our city each spring. The Jubilee is one of the top ten tourism events in the state of Alabama. With dozens of activities for young and old, ranging from workshops to films to a parade and festival, there won’t be a shortage of things to do.

The focus of this weekend is and should be the bridge crossing reenactment but I hope you will have time to take in some of the rest Selma’s 200 hundred year history and to catch a glimpse of Selma’s future. I invite you to visit our museums and historic sites, restaurants and shops and to tour our diverse neighborhoods.

As you come over the bridge you’ll see that Selma is building a park on the river. The amphitheater and other features are still under construction, but a stroll along the walking trail and footbridge affords an unparalleled view of the Alabama River and the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Don’t miss it.

In addition to the National Voting Rights Museum, the Selma Interpretive Center on Broad Street at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge has information and videos that highlight Selma and Dallas County’s role in the voting rights movement.

We are also pleased to host a traveling exhibit sponsored by the City of Birmingham that tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement that began in a church in Birmingham 1963 and ended on the bridge in Selma in 1965. The Birmingham Story exhibit is on view at the George P Evans Reception Center, located at 2 Lawrence Street at Riverfront Park.

We want you to experience all that Selma has to offer and to come back again. If you have the chance to stop by the Welcome Center, located on the corner of Broad Street and Selma Avenue, the volunteers will help you find maps and brochures and whatever you need to make your visit memorable.

Welcome to Selma and enjoy your stay.