# What is a Dopefest? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2003, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962 "2003-07-08T09:35:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/21 "2003-07-11T13:58:32Z")
**Opal** , I made my post about defining “Fests” so we could try to get rid of some of that confusion, and since you said: > [@](#): > > Fests usually last a few days??? I addressed my obviously misplaced definitions to you. And thank you, **dantheman** , for helping me with my identity crisis. After two years and 2,500 posts, I still keep forgetting what my screen name really is. I just don’t know where my head goes sometimes. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/22 "2003-07-11T14:02:08Z")
**Gorgon** , as long as said identity crises revolve around only your screen name, I’m there. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/23 "2003-07-11T14:07:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\ ***Gorgon** , as long as said identity crises revolve around only your screen name, I’m there. \*\* EDITORS NOTE: To fully appreciate this line, imagine **dantheman** saying it in a drunken voice. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/24 "2003-07-11T14:08:55Z")
How did you know my next line was going to be “I love you man!”? Thank goodness for backspace! ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/25 "2003-07-11T14:09:47Z")
Good point, **garius** but niether you nor he are getting my beer. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/26 "2003-07-11T14:11:19Z")
COMMERCIAL SIMULPOST! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/27 "2003-07-11T14:21:49Z")
Hic! ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/28 "2003-07-11T14:23:20Z")
And just to add Kansas City’s voice to this fray: we will be having a Dopefest on July 27th on the Kansas City Plaza. Details and pictures of leather-wearing chickens can be found in [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=187465&perpage=50&pagenumber=1) Amen. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/29 "2003-07-11T18:01:29Z")
They vary quite a bit, by venue, crowd, locale, etc. Of the ~40 I’ve attended, 7 have been multiple day affairs. There are no rules. Right now we’re cookin’ up a two-dayer for Houston for August 2nd and 3rd. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/30 "2003-07-11T18:11:37Z")
One necessary qualification for a Dopefest is that it has to be organized via a thread here on the SDMB. If a bunch of Dopers who have become RL friends get together on their own, without a Dopefest thread inviting all and sundry, then it’s not a Dopefest. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/31 "2003-07-11T18:45:07Z")
As to the question of what makes a DopeGathering a DopeFest, it depends on context. In a few places there are a large number of Dopers who regularly get together in gatherings of various different sizes. They range from quick get-togethers on the spur of the moment to full weekend-long affairs planned in months in advance. The biggies have tended to happen in New York, Chicago, the DC/Baltimore area, Los Angeles and San Fransicso. In those cities, the bigger gatherings are usually referred to DopeFests and the smaller ones go by other names like DopeDinners. For instance, the gathering we’re having in New York next Friday for **kabbes** , is a [DopeDinner](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=196663), rather than a full-blown DopeFest. In other places, any gathering on Dopers is considered a DopeFest. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/32 "2003-07-11T20:01:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*[sub]psst, his name’s not Gordon[/sub] \*\* I won’t fault him for that. My name’s not Opal either. (So does this mean that no one is mad at me? I’ve gotten very little sleep so I’m easily confused…) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/33 "2003-07-11T21:22:30Z")
Well, you called him Gordon, for reasons only known to you, dear … > [@](#): > > Gordon? Um… I’m not sure why you are addressing that to me? At least that’s what it looked like. And poor Gorgon was chagrined. Back to bed with ye! ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/34 "2003-07-11T21:43:40Z")
What should I have called him? He called me Opal…? Is there a new supersecret naming convention that I’m not aware of? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/35 "2003-07-11T21:45:25Z")
Well, you could have called him Gorgon, which is his user name. And not Gordon, which is not. 🙂 I know, I know, it’s a subtle difference. But poor Gorgon! You’ve made him ll weepy. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/36 "2003-07-11T23:52:36Z")
ROFL… see this is the hazard of 1600 x 1200 screen resolution. BAAAHAHAHAHA _blush_ (I still haven’t been back to bed… I’m hoping to catch up tonight. Maybe then I’ll have some mental functionality.) Sorry Gor\*on. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/37 "2003-07-11T23:56:59Z")
Let’s call her Opam, just for the heck of it. Sleep well when you do! [sub]psst, don’t anyone tell her about the new, NEW supersecret naming convention[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/38 "2003-07-12T03:15:31Z")
Oh no! Ps: bite me, dangtheman! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/39 "2003-07-12T03:19:32Z")
(I hope that was after a nice nap.) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962/40 "2003-07-12T03:46:11Z")
no, not yet ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-dopefest/186962.md?page=3)