HOGANSVILLE — The Hummingbird Festival is still a few weeks away, but Hogansville has already hosted the first event of the festival season: the third annual Tower Trail 5K Run.

The race began Saturday morning at Callaway Elementary School and wound through the Tower Trail and downtown Hogansville before finishing back at the elementary school.

“I had fun doing it,” said Caleb Stanley, who won the race with a time of 21:21. “It’s good weather. … A lot of people came out and just had fun.”

The money raised by the race and the festival will go to support community projects like the proposed Askew Park downtown and continuing the Tower Trail, according to event organizers. The race – along with an auction, a poker tournament, and a beauty pageant – was designed to get the community excited about the upcoming festival.

“The Hummingbird Festival is in two weekends,” said Jason Stewart, an event organizer. “… We started doing these events around the festival to increase community involvement.”

Entire families showed up to run and walk in the event together. Some family members even stayed by the finish line so they could cheer on their loved ones in the final stretch of the race.

“Both our boys ran when they were growing up, so we are going to try to get (the grandchildren) active,” said Melanie Key, who participated in the race along with four of her grandchildren.

The Hummingbird Festival is scheduled to take place in downtown Hogansville on Oct. 15 and 16. A dinner, dance and silent auction is slated for Oct. 13 at the Victoria Belle Mansion in Hogansville. For tickets to the auction call Mary Stewart at 706-333-2520. A charity poker tournament is scheduled for Saturday.