The city of Selma shut down part of Water Avenue Friday night for an evening of fun and music. But there was one thing missing from the jazzy festival –– people.

At 8 p.m., 30 minutes before the headliner Reggie Hines & Band were supposed to go on, less than a dozen people were in the crowds.

“The turnout thus far is not what I though it would be,” said Selma Mayor George Evans. “We put in a lot of work… inviting people out just to have something to do in Selma on the weekend. The turnout has been very small.”

Evans said he has heard people in the community complain about having nothing to do in Selma, leaving him disappointed when efforts are made to provide the public with a safe, enjoyable evening out for everyone.

“All we can do is make it available to the people to have somewhere to go in Selma,” Evans said. “If they say there is nowhere to go or nothing to do, well this to me is entertainment.”

For the people that did decide to head out to the festival Friday night, Evans said he is thankful.

“We thank the ones that are coming out and being a part of this,” Evans said. “Maybe one day it will catch on.”

At 9:30 p.m., around 30 people were out watching the show, but Evans said he is hopeful that more people will attend Saturday.

“We’ll see what tomorrow brings,” Evans said. “The music goes on tomorrow night. We’ll just keep trying to find out what people like and what they want to be involved in.”

Selma’s events kick off with family fun time with games and more on historic Water Avenue.

From 5-11 p.m., various live bands, like headliner Big Ro, will perform. Tickets to the Fourth of July Street Festival are $10 for adults and $2 for children under 12.

Valley Grande and Orrville are also having their own Independence Day celebrations. Valley Grande will celebrate the Fourth of July at the city’s baseball fields and walking trail at 5 p.m. with a fireworks show set to begin between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. and is expected to last around 30 minutes.

The free event will include several vendors, games and prizes for children, inflatables, food and a DJ.

Orrville is celebrating with its first ever fireworks show at the Orrville Community Center, 463 Academy St., at 8 p.m. with fireworks beginning at 8:30 p.m. To accompany the fireworks, the celebration will include various carnival type foods like cotton candy and hot dogs. The city asks that people bring their own blankets and chairs to enjoy the free show.