Last year the trailer smelled like candles. Its shelves were bolted to the walls and held paperbacks and hardcovers sorted under labels like classics, fantasy, travel, nature, history, economics and children's. A small section of brand-new books sat among hundreds of "previously enjoyed" ones. Near the register were stickers, book-themed gifts and jars of honey from hives kept by the owner's husband.
That trailer is Roadrunner Bookshop, and it's about to stop moving. The New Falcon Herald's November community calendar says the shop "is expanding into a storefront location," with a grand opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 28, at 7113 McLaughlin Road in Falcon. That's two days after Thanksgiving, and it gives Falcon a bookstore with a permanent address in time for holiday shopping, run by a bookseller who already calls the Falcon area home.
A year of parking next to food trucks
Owner Tally Kerr spent 2025 towing Roadrunner around Colorado Springs, and The Gazette followed her in December 2025. She often parked beside food trucks at breweries and also set up at coffee shops, tea shops, yoga studios and festivals. The Gazette described a customer who walked out of the trailer holding a title that had been on her list. She'd come for a beer, and the book turned up "right here."
Kerr described her own goal in that same Gazette piece:
"I can't compete with Barnes & Noble, and that's not my intent. My intent is to take books to places where people wouldn't normally find them."
The business also put her in unusual company. As of that December 2025 article, the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association counted 73 member bookstores in Colorado. Its executive director, Heather Duncan, said six of them were new mobile or pop-up stores, and Roadrunner was the only one of its kind around Colorado Springs.
The Gazette also noted where the trailer went home at night. Kerr lives on the plains around Falcon, among gardens, honeybees, llamas, chickens and rabbits. The new storefront puts the shop back on her home ground.
Why a trailer bookseller wants four walls
The trailer held about 1,200 books in less than 100 square feet. Kerr told The Gazette she had one regret about it: "Because it's under 100 square feet, I can't carry everything."
A mobile shop finds readers wherever it parks, but every title has to fit on those bolted shelves. Roadrunner's Bookshop.org storefront describes a shop for readers of all ages, selling new and previously enjoyed books. The storefront gives that mix a fixed address on McLaughlin Road. Check Roadrunner's own pages for hours before you plan a trip around the opening.
The Falcon authors she has already introduced to readers
Roadrunner was already acting like a community bookstore before it had a building. On Saturday, March 21, 2026, Kerr organized a meet-and-greet at Ascent Brewery for five Falcon authors. They mingled with the crowd and talked about their books while guests ate crepes and drank coffee from 4th Avenue Crepes & Xtreme Coffee Roasters. According to the New Falcon Herald's write-up, the authors were:
- Rick Buchanan, who also owns Firehouse Subs in Falcon
- Anna Blake
- Israel "DT" Del Toro Jr.
- Katie Vieira
- Lynne Bliss
If a book by a Falcon writer is on your gift list, those five names are a good place to start.
The rest of the season, built by neighbors
The rest of Falcon's November and December calendar was put together the same way, by schools, a library book club, a homeowner rec center and veterans' groups. Here's what's scheduled from publish day through December 19, with details from the New Falcon Herald community calendar and Meridian Ranch's event listings.
| Date | Event | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 12, 11 a.m. | Falcon Senior Services Thanksgiving luncheon | Butler Room, Patriot High School | The meal is free |
| Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Falcon High School Bazaar | 10255 Lambert Road | Includes an American Legion Auxiliary booth |
| Through Nov. 23 | Canned-food drive | Meridian Ranch Recreation Center, 10301 Angeles Road | Runs November 1 to 23 |
| Saturday, Nov. 28, 10 a.m. | Roadrunner Bookshop grand opening | 7113 McLaughlin Road | First day at the new storefront |
| Tuesday, Dec. 8, 5 to 6:30 p.m. | Falcon Book Club holiday party | High Prairie Library | Used-book exchange and potluck |
| Saturday, Dec. 12, 4 to 8 p.m. | Cookies with Santa & Holly Jolly Holiday Market | Meridian Ranch Fieldhouse, 10559 Rainbow Bridge Drive | Free for Meridian Ranch residents |
| Saturday, Dec. 19, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. | Wreaths Across America | Pikes Peak National Cemetery at 9 a.m., Eastonville Cemetery at 1 p.m. | Wreaths go on veterans' graves at Eastonville after the ceremony |
A few of these dates fit together well. The bookshop opens on November 28, and ten days later the Falcon Book Club holds a used-book exchange at High Prairie Library. If you're clearing shelves before the holidays, December 8 is a good night to bring books in, and Roadrunner is a short drive away when you want to replace them.
At Meridian Ranch, Santa visits the Fieldhouse on December 12 rather than the Recreation Center on Angeles Road. Families can drop off Christmas lists, have cookies, take photos and shop the Holly Jolly Holiday Market. Event details sometimes change in December, so check Meridian Ranch's event page before you head over.
The Wreaths Across America ceremonies on December 19 are listed by American Legion Post 2008. The 9 a.m. ceremony at Pikes Peak National Cemetery comes first, then the 1 p.m. ceremony at Eastonville Cemetery, so you can attend both on the same Saturday.
A side trip up Black Forest Road
The closest relative of the Roadrunner story is just over the line in Black Forest. The Cabin Collective opened in early October at 12490 Black Forest Road, at the corner of Black Forest and Shoup roads, in a historic building that once housed a general store. Owner Nicole Brinkley told the New Falcon Herald that she "knew that there was a need locally for people to have space," and when the cabin became available, the shop was "a vision that I had."
The shop has 10 local vendors, both makers and curators, including Brinkley's own Faith and Glory Boutique. A few of them:
- Rocky Mountain Rustic sells handmade ducks and fish carved from century-old fence posts, plus children's books by co-owner Lisa Bergren.
- Stuff at This and That carries vintage clothing, household goods, art and other curated finds.
- Doc's Woodshop sells charcuterie boards, cutting boards, magnetic knife holders and inlaid boxes made by a retired vascular surgeon with more than 50 years of woodworking experience.
Hours are Wednesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On November 28 you could catch the Roadrunner opening at 10 a.m. and still reach the Cabin Collective well before it closes at 4.
The place Falcon is still trying to recruit
In its November update in the New Falcon Herald, Friends of Falcon called a moderate-to-upscale sit-down restaurant "arguably the area's biggest service gap." The nonprofit works with The New Falcon Herald and the Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce to bring needed businesses to the area. It has renewed outreach to two Colorado Springs restaurant groups: Colorado Locals and Beers, which runs Bonny & Read and The Rabbit Hole, and Altitude Hospitality Group, whose places include Till Kitchen and Garden of the Gods Market & Café.
That effort depends on an outside company choosing Falcon. Roadrunner's storefront comes from a bookseller who already lives on the plains around Falcon, and the Cabin Collective came from an owner who saw a local need and filled an empty cabin. Friends of Falcon has said it will keep readers posted through the Herald and its mailing list at TheFriendsOfFalcon.org.
Until a restaurant arrives, your holiday plans can still include a grand opening on McLaughlin Road on November 28, a used-book swap at High Prairie Library on December 8, and Santa at the Meridian Ranch Fieldhouse on December 12.
At Brent Patterson, we love watching neighbors like Tally Kerr and Nicole Brinkley open new places to gather, and we'd be glad to see you at the Roadrunner opening on November 28. If shops like these are part of why you love Falcon, or why you'd like to live closer to them, we're here to help with the next step. Start Your Home Search.
