Selma’s Riverfront Amphitheater is finally ready to make its long-awaited debut.

The new venue celebrated its grand opening Thursday with a ribbon cutting with city officials and the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce.

“I think it is a wonderful achievement on behalf of city government, city council members and different partners who contributed,” said Mayor George Evans. “The taxpayers helped do this as well.”

Planning for the amphitheater started a decade ago, and construction started in 2012. After several delays, due to weather and other issues, the city now has a venue along the river to host events.

“I feel real good about it. It has been a long time coming,” Evans said. “It is going to offer some opportunities, programs and activities at the amphitheater on a beginning basis that is going to build to something later on.”

The amphitheater will make its debut when it plays host to the Riverfront Park Music and Arts Festival on Labor Day, but Evans said there are also other events in the works.

“There are some groups that want to come here. There are some bands that are talking about coming here right now, and gospel groups that want to come here and sing,” Evans said.

“We’re going to have our Crime Night Out here, so there is going to be a lot of activities here.”

The amphitheater offers a stage and large seating area for a crowd. Evans said the basic necessities to have an event have been completed, but he expects more updates to come as money is generated through holding events.

“Each wing on each side still needs to be developed. The immediate part is in good shape. We’ve got to put some partitions in the back to let some people have some privacy while they are dressing and things like that, and we’ve got to have some more lighting put in,” Evans said.

“Other than that and getting the grass growing and the bowl cut, and getting eventual seating for 2,000 to 3,000 people it is really going to be a wonderful thing for people who have not thought about coming down here.”