Get used to the West Chilton Spring Festival. It’s here to stay.

At least Mulberry Baptist Church members plan on working to make that so. Pastor Mitch Thrower was so pleased with Saturday’s inaugural event, he and others started the conversation on making preparation for next year’s fest.

Thanks partially do a beautiful, sunny day, roughly 500 people gathered to the community-wide event held just off Alabama Highway 191 near Maplesville for music, entertainment and free food.

“It was a great event,” Thrower said. “A lot of families came out. I think everybody had a good time.”

Youth minister Tim Jolley said he was especially pleased with the solid turnout for a first-time event as well as the family atmosphere enjoyed by all ages.

“It was just a good, wholesome environment for the community,” Jolley said.

Thrower said folks from Montgomery, Prattville, Bessemer, Alabaster and other parts of Chilton County all showed up to enjoy the festivities that included fishing seminars, free haircuts, police K-9 demonstrations, a hotdog-eating contest, live music and other activities for kids and adults.

Although they haven’t held a formal planning meeting yet, Thrower said those who helped sponsor the fest have their sights set on 2011.

“Hopefully it’ll be bigger and better,” he said.

Thrower said over 80 members of Mulberry Baptist Church attended and worked to make the event successful.

“They all worked hard out there all day long,” he said. “They all still had a good attitude and the end of the day and were talking about next year already.”

The church sponsored the festival as part of the Alabama Baptist GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing) program, which is part of a larger emphasis called Across Alabama.