CULLMAN, Ala. – The Friends of the Public Libraries of Cullman County (FPLCC) will host the third annual Spooktacular Storybook 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run Saturday, Oct. 24, at 8 a.m. beginning at the Cullman County Public Library.
FPLCC President Julie Freeman said they are excited to see familiar and new faces decked out in their favorite literary character costumes for their Halloween running event.
“We have a new route this year that we’re eager for people to test their running prowess on,” Freeman said. “Most importantly, we love people showing up to support their public library. Every one of us has fond memories of our favorite librarian showing us a new book as a child or adult. We love seeing the outpouring of support from the community.”
Freeman said the race starts and ends at the Cullman County Public Library, and they wouldn’t be here without the staff’s support and hours they put in to make this event fun for everyone.
“Running Lane will time our events; they will time our event for the second year in a row, and many of our sponsors have repeated their generous donations,” she said. “Because of their support, we can invest in a quality race and raise funds for our library. We have an amazing graphic designer, Ashley Trawick, who has designed our logo for the last two years – we’re excited to show off her work on our T-shirts. Our Friends of the Public Library volunteers have gone above and beyond to organize this race, especially Thomas Messersmith and Krysti Shallenberger, and have invested a lot of time and resources outside of their other obligations. We take notes on what to improve for next year so that people keep returning and keep supporting our library.”
The library is launching its official Capital Campaign this month, and Freeman said they are thrilled to be the main kick-off event for this 12-month campaign.
Cullman County Public Library System Assistant Director Shelby Creekmore said the Capital Campaign will focus on both fundraising and awareness for the upcoming library changes and expansion.
“This will go toward the renovation and expansion of the Cullman Library building and also raise awareness of how library funding is structured and what we have to offer our community,” Creekmore said. “For this 12-month campaign, we will emphasize advocacy and long-term support of library programs and services.”
Freeman added that they now have a need for a bigger library space.
“Our library exists to provide resources and books at no cost to our community. We have fun events for all ages, and our summer reading program has grown exponentially the past couple of years,” she explained. “Our wonderful Library Director Amber Thornton and our Assistant Director Shelby Creekmore have truly led the library to new levels of excellence. Watching our patrons and friends show up to this race and bring more people to support us, with so many creative and eye-catching costumes — it’s one of the biggest highlights of the year for us.”
Freeman said they will have awards for the fastest male and female overall winners, age group awards and the winner of the costume contest.
The Cullman County Library is located at 200 Clark St. NE, Cullman. To register, go to www.storybook5k.com.
The Friends of the Public Libraries of Cullman County (FPLCC) will host the third annual Spooktacular Storybook 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at 8 a.m. beginning at the Cullman County Public Library. (Cullman County Public Library System)
