One constant this spring in Selma has been the number of big events the city has hosted.

From the Alabama Independent School Association state track and field championships, to the Alabama High School Athletic Association state championships, Selma has brought in thousands from around the state, each time having a positive impact on the local economy.

Now with Cabela’s bringing two national catfish tournaments to the Selma Marina on the Alabama River — one in June and the other in September — it’s pretty obvious that Selma has all the resources necessary to host big-time events.

Officials with multiple departments in the city and the county have successfully brought big events to the area that have paid dividends for the community.

When I interviewed Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce executive director Sheryl Smedley about the Cabela’s tournaments coming to Selma, one of the things she mentioned was how impressed the event’s organizers were with the resources that Selma had to offer.

Groups and organizations from around the nation see that Selma has was it takes to host thousands of civilians, athletes and performers. It’s all just a matter of getting the word out and continuing to promote those resources.

And it doesn’t stop at the Alabama River and the East Selma Fishing Pond.

With the recently renovated Memorial Stadium and Bloch Park, there’s no shortage of resources for this county and city to continue to host events that bring the community together and help the local economy.

It’s a trend that needs to continue.

With the plans for River Front Park, there’s an even greater opportunity to bring in more revenue and activities for Selma-Dallas County and its residents.

For instance, the planned amphitheater for River Front Park could be used as a tool to attract any number of concerts, not to mention that the park could be another venue to host festivals and events of that nature.

I’ve constantly heard talk from many about the aims to revitalize Historic Downtown Selma, and I think the park is definitely another way to help in those efforts.

Selma needs to continue displaying the resources it has available to it, because it’s only going to have a positive impact in the long run.