Event goers trying to understand how to properly use the BlastPast payment system. Credit: Photo by Adriana Benavides

Editor’s note: This story was updated to include comments from the King William Fair’s organizers.

Organizers of the King William Fair are getting public heat over what some attendees are calling poor implementation of the Fiesta event’s wristband payment system, BlastPass.

BlastPass, which requires a $2 charge in order to set up for each wristband, served as the fair’s only form of payment for food and beverage options. In online comments, visitors complained that poor Internet connections made it hard to load money onto their passes. They also expressed anger that no other form of payment was available.

“King William Fair: $25 entry, wait in entry line to get a wristband,” influencer @PuroPincheSA tweeted. “[Minimum of] $25 needs to be loaded on wristband to buy food/drinks, wait in line to get money loaded, wait in line to get 2-$12 chicken on a stick and now I gotta reload by waiting in line again! Nombre, shut up.”

In an emailed statement, King William Fair organizers said a storm caused “Internet dead zones” throughout the fair, resulting in problems for the system.

“One of the booths affected was  the main WiFi hub to provide internet for the Fair Zone and all devices,” according to the statement.

Fair officials also said they’re “exploring other food and beverage credit options” for the 2024 event. Additionally, they’re working to make things right with those who were unable to access credits during the fair.

For some of the 20,000 fairgoers, a key frustration is the money that still remains loaded on their wristbands. Others complained about the inability to combine wristband funds for a purchase.

“Having to load money on a wristband sucks because the total of what you buy never works out = to the $ on the band,” Twitter user @realCAMERALERO said. “You end up wasting a few $$ at the end of the day. Scam.”

One Redditor, who goes by CrankySnowman, describes waiting in a line for 30 minutes only to be informed that payment through a wristband is the only acceptable form of payment.

“Waited 30 minutes in line to get a Gordita just to be told that I have to pay on the wristband,” CrankySnowman wrote on the subreddit r/SanAntonio Monday morning. “Luckily, the person behind me paid for my meal. The wristband made this event miserable, and it will not be back next year.”

The fair doesn’t issue refunds on either admission or unused BlastPass credits, according to the organization’s website. NIOSA used the same system in 2021 and 2022 but this year reverted back to paper payment tickets. 

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This article appears in Apr 19 – May 2, 2023.