
Can novices join in, and do we need to cough up any $$$ to do this?
Yep, novices can...strobist is about learning about off-camera lighting, so as long as you can do that (commander mode or fleabay triggers), you're good to go (plus there will be other gear there as well).
We're just covering studio rental and MUA costs (models are TF*) so it's a pretty reasonable $25 at this point.