HOOVER – Christian Life Church’s One Big Party event doubled in size from its first year to second year, and organizers expect an even larger turnout this year.

The third annual event will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the church, which is located at 2490 Valleydale Road in Hoover.

“We kind of did it a little bit on a whim the first year,” Pastor Danielle Stiles said. “We just felt like we wanted to do something for the community and stepped out on faith, and 500 people showed up.”

Last year, the number of attendees doubled to about 1,000.

About 1,500 people are expected this year, Stiles said, from Hoover, Helena, Alabaster, Calera and other locations in the area.

The fall festival event includes inflatables, rides, free food, giveaways, crafts games in which children can win candy and more.

This year’s festival will feature more rides and inflatables than last year, Stiles said.

Drawings will be held for giveaways.

Everything at One Big Party is free.

Attendees are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes.

The church’s Life Kidz Team will also perform a presentation intended to give people an idea of what they could find at the church on a Sunday morning or during Kidz Week, the annual summer ministry that is similar to Vacation Bible School.

Parking will be available at the church and an adjacent business. Overflow parking will be available at the Southeastern Bible College campus.

To give organizers an idea about how many people to expect, pre-registration for attendees is available at CLCBham (scroll down on the home page and click on “One Big Party.”

Those interested in volunteering for the event can also sign up through the web site. About 100 volunteers are required to manage the event, Stiles said.

“They’re all very bought in to the event, so they do whatever it takes,” she said.