Hundreds of parents and children from the Santa Clarita Valley gathered at The Church On The Way Santa Clarita Saturday afternoon for the ninth annual Candyland SCV event.

“It’s free of charge to the community as an alternative for some people who might feel unsafe trick-or-treating and want to be sure they’re in an environment that’s going to be peaceful and fun and safe,” said Christa Andersen, senior pastor at The Church On The Way Santa Clarita. “We’ve just opened it up to our community as a provision to people to come and enjoy.”

Attendees of the event could participate in various games, including a ring toss.

The free event, which ran from 5 – 9 p.m. in The Church On The Way Santa Clarita’s back parking lot, included carnival games, inflatable bounce houses, a rock climbing wall, food trucks, an interactive gospel walkthrough and a live DJ.

Attendees walked through a “candyland” area when they arrived, themed “taste and see that the Lord is good,” Andersen said.

“As people walk through, there’s information about what we’ve discovered to be good about the Lord,” said Andersen. “It’s just a fun way for people to know what we feel and believe as well as just mostly to come and have fun… It’s a fun, lighthearted event.”

The Church On The Way Santa Clarita puts on the Candyland SCV event to be a part of the community, Andersen said.

“We’re not just here about our faith, we’re here to be a part of the community and to reach out to those around us and to let them know we have fun here and we enjoy being a part of the community,” said Andersen.

The Candyland SCV event started in 2007 after church staff at The Church On The Way Santa Clarita wanted do something for Halloween that was fun, light and free, said Andersen.

“(This event allows us) to be able to be a part of welcoming our community, of letting them know that we care, that we love being here and just kind of reaching back for the joy we’ve received being here in the Santa Clarita Valley,” Andersen said. “We care beyond this event, it’s not just that we want to do something nice this one time, we’re always here to care and to reach out and help however people could use our help.”