How to get 2024 NYS Fair tickets, parking passes, ride wristbands (Pro tip: don’t bring cash)

State Fair Main Gate opening day 2021

The line outside the main gate on Friday, Aug. 18, awaiting the beginning of the 2021 NYS Fair. Photo by N. Scott Trimble.

Geddes, N.Y. — Parking lots and gates at the 2024 New York State Fair will be cashless again this year (card payment only). So how do you get tickets? It’s best to do it in advance and avoid lines, bad cell service or other issues.

General adult tickets to the fair cost $8 (up from $6 in 2023) and are available online at etix.com. A parking pass costs $12.

The fair is also offering a “frequent fairgoer” ticket for $25 that grants admission all 13 days of the fair.

Parking passes and general admission tickets are available online or by calling 1-800-514-3849 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

You can buy admission tickets by card at the gate, but you’ll have to use one of the electronic kiosks or a QR code on your phone.

As for parking, it’s best to buy a pass ahead of time, then show the lot attendant the pass on your phone or print a copy to show. (EZPass Plus is no longer an option for parking.)

Apple Pay and Google Pay are not accepted for admission or parking.

However, many of the Fair vendors and food stands accept cash, so it can’t hurt to bring a few bucks for food and drinks.

A Ferris wheel towers over the Midway at the New York State Fair. Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com)

A Ferris wheel towers over the Midway at the New York State Fair. Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com)

Passes are also on sale online for the midway rides.

A “mega pass” wristband gives the user unlimited rides every day of the fair. It’s $95 and is available until noon on Wednesday, Aug. 21 (opening day).

A “ride all day” wristband is $29.95 in advance and is good for unlimited rides for a single day. Those are available at that price until noon on Aug. 21. After that, the price jumps to $37 on weekdays and $47 on weekends.

The midway is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the fair except Monday, Sept. 2, when it closes at 9 p.m.

The fair runs from Aug. 21 to Sept. 2.

Unused 2023 admission tickets will not be accepted at the 2024 State Fair.

More 2024 NYS Fair coverage:

You Butter Believe It: 800 pounds of creamy goodness rolls in for NYS Fair sculpture

New York State Fair raises ticket price again, but it’s still less than previous high

NYS Fair reveals 2024 special entertainment lineup: New acts and returning favorites

NYS Fair Love Stories: These two were ‘big winners’ at the ‘I Got It’ game in 1996

NYS Fair Love Stories: Their eyes met in 1986 across the crowd; they’ve been together ever since

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