Local author Ross Hightower created a fantasyland called Argren for his fantasy book series The Sprit Song Saga, but its real home is Riverwest – specifically, Black Husky Brewing.
The stories revolve around the Vollen Empire, who have conquered and colonized the lands around the peaceful Alle’oss people, and now the Vollen eye has turned to them. There’s magic and spirit channeling, some of it based on Norse mythology. An Argren prequel series, Rebels Rising, is co-authored with Hightower’s life partner, Deb Heim.
But Argren’s headquarters real world since the first volume of the series, Spirit Sight, was released in 2023 has been Black Husky Brewing, where Hightower and Heim have hosted book releases, a monthly Firkins and Fantasy book club, and generally use it as a third space to have a beer and work on spinning new tales. Brewer and troubadour Tim Eichinger, who runs Black Husky with his wife, Toni, has even helped put the epic tales of Argren to music in ballad form.
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Talk between the authors and the brewpub led to creating Argren Faire, an immersive Renaissance Faire-style event spun out of the pages of the books, last year in a block of Bremen Street next to the brewery. The mid-September event filled a spot in the calendar between the end of the season at Bristol Renaissance Faire and Halloween. Attendance, in the thousands, exceeded expectations.
This year, Argren Faire is expanding significantly when it returns Sept. 13. It’s a release event for Oss’stera: An Epic Fantasy, the sixth of what the authors hope will be the 11-book Argren series, but there’s much more; Locust Street will be shut down to accommodate 60 vendors and a range of activities. There’s a scavenger hunt based on the books, an “Authors Alley” of fantasy novelists, live action role playing from Deeplight LARP, a costume contest, bellydancers and mermaids, music, food vendors (including a Ren Faire favorite – turkey legs), beer, a beard contest, and Agmar’s Feats of Strength. (Agmar is a brute found in the pages of the Argren books.) Amongst the vendors will be Milwaukee Makerspace, operating a forging station, and tabletop gaming provided by Old Guard Games, among other crafters and organizations. The day ends with a “scattering” – a group of musicians leading a singalong.
The faire reflects the progressive values of the Riverwest neighborhood. Heim notes the Argren books are a story of “witches and rebels fighting an evil oligarchy, a story for our times.” The goal of the event is to focus on local arts and to bring community together. “Among other things, there’s a lot of queer characters in the books, so it’s very queer supportive,” Heim says. “That’s what the Alle’oss do, they take care of each other.”
Tim Eichinger says he envisions the faire eventually growing as big as the street’s other big event – Locust Street Festival. If that comes to pass, Argren Faire will be a day almost as epic as the stories themselves.
Argren Faire is from noon to 8 p.m. on Sept. 13 and is free to attend. More info on Argren: www.rosshightower.com
