Tens of thousands of people are expected in Selma between now and Sunday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches.

An exact number of how many people will descend upon Dallas County this weekend is probably a guess at this point.

“Some people say 50,000. Some people say 100,000,” Selma Mayor George Evans said during a Tuesday press conference.

Evans and other city leaders gathered outside Selma City Hall to welcome visitors and give updates on parking, traffic, security and lodging for this weekend

“It’s the right time in history, and the right time in our city,” Evans said. “I’m just wanting to extend the invitation to everyone to come to Selma for this historic moment. I’m happy to be mayor at this time in our history.”

Evans referenced Sunday’s Unity Walk, a coming together of the local faith community as the kind of image the city wants to project in 2015.

“Selma has changed. Selma is a better city. It shows how united Selma has come in people working together,” Evans said.

While the city welcomes all with open arms, there’s no room left in the city’s inns, or even places within an hour’s drive.

“Every hotel in Selma, Demopolis and Marion and surrounding counties are full,” Evans said.

The mayor said people’s best bet for lodging would be Birmingham or west Montgomery even to the Opelika area.

With all these visitors, Evans and other leaders hope Selma and Dallas County will reap an economic benefit through a spike in sales taxes.

“We would love to see a million dollars over the weekend,” said Sheryl Smedley, executive director of the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce. “As everyone is aware our lodging is full at this time and our restaurants are prepared for the abundance of crowds. The impact here will definitely be in those industries.”

Like hotels, parking will also be first-come, first-served over the weekend. Several local schools will allow bus and RV parking as a fundraiser for their PTOs. The city will also offer parking at Bloch Park, even on the grass if the weather cooperates.

Selma Police Chief William Riley said the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Broad Street and some side streets will be closed starting overnight Friday into Saturday morning. He said a lot of closures, especially on Saturday, will depend on direction from the Secret Service.

“As we we closer to that date, we will have more complete times as to road closings,” Riley said.

The chief said there will be law enforcement from other cities and counties as well as the state and federal agencies in Selma this weekend.

“We will have a great number of officers here in the city of Selma as well as across the bridge in the Selmont area,” Riley said.

Overall, the leaders are hopeful for a positive experience for visitors and hometown folks alike.

“The world is watching us, and I think we are going to make them like what they see,” said Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard.