diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221016-173742.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221016-173742.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..11d4a8c85f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221016-173742.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Add functors to ensure event types with str-type attributes are initialized
+  to spec, even when provided non-str type params.
+time: 2022-10-16T17:37:42.846683-07:00
+custom:
+  Author: versusfacit
+  Issue: "5436"
+  PR: "5874"
diff --git a/core/dbt/events/adapter_endpoint.py b/core/dbt/events/adapter_endpoint.py
index aff157ab611..68a73d8aecb 100644
--- a/core/dbt/events/adapter_endpoint.py
+++ b/core/dbt/events/adapter_endpoint.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 )
 
 
+# N.B. No guarantees for what type param msg is.
 @dataclass
 class AdapterLogger:
     name: str
diff --git a/core/dbt/events/base_types.py b/core/dbt/events/base_types.py
index 489b70cb1ad..cd3275c02a9 100644
--- a/core/dbt/events/base_types.py
+++ b/core/dbt/events/base_types.py
@@ -99,6 +99,23 @@ def level_tag(self) -> str:
         return "error"
 
 
+# Included to ensure classes with str-type message members are initialized correctly.
+@dataclass  # type: ignore[misc]
+class AdapterEventStringFunctor:
+    def __post_init__(self):
+        super().__post_init__()
+        if not isinstance(self.base_msg, str):
+            self.base_msg = str(self.base_msg)
+
+
+@dataclass  # type: ignore[misc]
+class EventStringFunctor:
+    def __post_init__(self):
+        super().__post_init__()
+        if not isinstance(self.msg, str):
+            self.msg = str(self.msg)
+
+
 # prevents an event from going to the file
 # This should rarely be used in core code. It is currently
 # only used in integration tests and for the 'clean' command.
diff --git a/core/dbt/events/types.py b/core/dbt/events/types.py
index 60204138c36..f6e66f941d2 100644
--- a/core/dbt/events/types.py
+++ b/core/dbt/events/types.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
     WarnLevel,
     ErrorLevel,
     Cache,
+    AdapterEventStringFunctor,
+    EventStringFunctor,
 )
 from dbt.events.format import format_fancy_output_line, pluralize
 
@@ -309,7 +311,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class AdapterEventDebug(DebugLevel, pt.AdapterEventDebug):  # noqa
+class AdapterEventDebug(DebugLevel, AdapterEventStringFunctor, pt.AdapterEventDebug):  # noqa
     def code(self):
         return "E001"
 
@@ -318,7 +320,7 @@ def message(self):
 
 
 @dataclass
-class AdapterEventInfo(InfoLevel, pt.AdapterEventInfo):  # noqa
+class AdapterEventInfo(InfoLevel, AdapterEventStringFunctor, pt.AdapterEventInfo):  # noqa
     def code(self):
         return "E002"
 
@@ -327,7 +329,7 @@ def message(self):
 
 
 @dataclass
-class AdapterEventWarning(WarnLevel, pt.AdapterEventWarning):  # noqa
+class AdapterEventWarning(WarnLevel, AdapterEventStringFunctor, pt.AdapterEventWarning):  # noqa
     def code(self):
         return "E003"
 
@@ -336,7 +338,7 @@ def message(self):
 
 
 @dataclass
-class AdapterEventError(ErrorLevel, pt.AdapterEventError):  # noqa
+class AdapterEventError(ErrorLevel, AdapterEventStringFunctor, pt.AdapterEventError):  # noqa
     def code(self):
         return "E004"
 
@@ -1218,7 +1220,9 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 # TODO: switch to storing structured info and calling get_target_failure_msg
 @dataclass
-class InvalidDisabledSourceInTestNode(WarnLevel, pt.InvalidDisabledSourceInTestNode):
+class InvalidDisabledSourceInTestNode(
+    WarnLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.InvalidDisabledSourceInTestNode
+):
     def code(self):
         return "I050"
 
@@ -1227,7 +1231,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class InvalidRefInTestNode(DebugLevel, pt.InvalidRefInTestNode):
+class InvalidRefInTestNode(DebugLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.InvalidRefInTestNode):
     def code(self):
         return "I051"
 
@@ -1334,7 +1338,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class MacroEventInfo(InfoLevel, pt.MacroEventInfo):
+class MacroEventInfo(InfoLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.MacroEventInfo):
     def code(self):
         return "M011"
 
@@ -1343,7 +1347,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class MacroEventDebug(DebugLevel, pt.MacroEventDebug):
+class MacroEventDebug(DebugLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.MacroEventDebug):
     def code(self):
         return "M012"
 
@@ -2261,7 +2265,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class RunResultError(ErrorLevel, pt.RunResultError):
+class RunResultError(ErrorLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.RunResultError):
     def code(self):
         return "Z024"
 
@@ -2299,7 +2303,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class FirstRunResultError(ErrorLevel, pt.FirstRunResultError):
+class FirstRunResultError(ErrorLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.FirstRunResultError):
     def code(self):
         return "Z028"
 
@@ -2308,7 +2312,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class AfterFirstRunResultError(ErrorLevel, pt.AfterFirstRunResultError):
+class AfterFirstRunResultError(ErrorLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.AfterFirstRunResultError):
     def code(self):
         return "Z029"
 
@@ -2446,7 +2450,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class GeneralWarningMsg(WarnLevel, pt.GeneralWarningMsg):
+class GeneralWarningMsg(WarnLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.GeneralWarningMsg):
     def code(self):
         return "Z046"
 
@@ -2476,7 +2480,7 @@ def message(self) -> str:
 
 
 @dataclass
-class RunResultWarningMessage(WarnLevel, pt.RunResultWarningMessage):
+class RunResultWarningMessage(WarnLevel, EventStringFunctor, pt.RunResultWarningMessage):
     def code(self):
         return "Z049"