GEDDES, N.Y. — Faced with long lines and impatient fairgoers Saturday evening, officials began letting people in for free after a spokesperson confirmed they were having problems with their ticketing system.
According to spokesperson Sean Farnsworth, the ticketing system operated by Etix suffered a nationwide outage at around 5 p.m. Saturday. Farnsworth said that while the issue was addressed, gate attendants verified tickets visually to the best of their ability. Those who were in line to purchase a ticket were allowed in for free to keep points of entry flowing after large crowds began building at entry points.
The issue with Etix has since been resolved, Farnsworth said, and normal processes are now back up and running at the gates.
The wait in line for many will have come after battling with traffic along I690, with cars backed up from Exit 7 in the eastbound lane to Hiawatha Blvd. at many points throughout Saturday afternoon.
Read More: System outage prompts NYS Fair to let some in for free Saturday to cut down on