‘We want to get it right this year:’ King William Fair set to use paper tickets on Saturday

  

SAN ANTONIO – The King William Fair holds a special place in the heart of Mia Vargas, who has cherished this Fiesta tradition since her childhood.

“I love coming to the King William Fair,” Vargas said. “I love all the food and being able to be around everyone. It’s really fun.”

But she said it was hard to overlook payment problems during the fair and parade last year.

“Did (the electronic wristbands) work very well?” KSAT reporter Avery Everett asked.

“No. It was kind of crazy,” Vargas said.

Because of those problems last year, the King William Association returned to using paper tickets for the 2024 event.

“A decision was made super quickly,” said Jen Huss, the events director for the King William Association. “We want to get it right this year.”

Huss said she’s expecting 35,000 people to attend the event this year. She said people will need to buy an admissions bracelet, in person or online, before they can purchase food and drink tickets. She said this year’s ticket system is similar to NIOSA or the Texas State Fair.

“It’s very traditional,” Huss said. “We want to make this the fair that everybody goes back to loving. Instead of saying, ‘I am never going back there again if they still have those bracelets.’”

The fair gates open at 8 a.m., and the parade starts at 9 a.m. Saturday. To view ticket options, click here.