I cannot make the 13th.
Friday the 13th?
For a Dopefest?
You guys have guts, I’ll give you that 
Unfortunately I can’t do Friday’s, I have to pick the kids up.
I love Friday the 13th, but no can do either.
A $200 discrepancy is trivial? Not in my world.
Let it go or at least leave it alone in this thread.
This may be one of those times where the OP just has to pick a time and place and either you’re in or you’re out.
I can make most days work up to the 17th then we’re off to Ireland.
I strongly vote for a weekend.
Say Friday after 8:00 PM or any time Saturday.
Just my vote.
I vote happy hour/after work or Saturday afternoonish.
You got somewhere you gotta be on Saturday?!
Share! 
I might be able to make it out depending on what night gets settled on. A weeknight is easier than a weekend.
I’d love to attend, but I haven’t lived in the Chicago area since 1979 and I hate all of you.
Fine, we hate you too. :mad:
Okay, not you. Everyone else.
OK, this thread has got pretty far afield. It’s hard enough to co-ordinate and tabulate something like this, and these side conversations and asides are in the way. Hence, I’ve started a new thread: Chicago Dope Fest - Business Thread - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board to be devoted to SPECIFICS, and no side conversations.
As long as side issues are still allowed in *this *thread, here’s one: separate checks are not a problem if everyone goes up to the bar and buys their drinks one at a time. That won’t work in a restaurant, of course, but it works fine in a tavern.