Cinema queues stretched out the front door and entertainment venues burst into life this week, as Wagga residents rushed to cash in their Dine and Discover vouchers.
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The voucher scheme, which was launched to stimulate the state's faltering economy at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, officially expires at midnight on Thursday.
Janelle Garlick, the supervisor at Forum 6 Cinemas, said the week leading up to the vouchers' expiry has been "quite crazy" and much busier than anticipated.
"It's been hectic - we've had lots of people coming in to use the last of their vouchers and it just hasn't slowed down at all," she said.
"We were expecting it to be busy but not quite to this extent."
Ms Garlick credited her staff for handling the crazy week and thanked patient moviegoers for being understanding of the situation.
NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said the voucher program went off the charts in its final week, with about $66 million being spent on meals, tickets and more.
"The record number of redemptions in the final week of the program shows that NSW has bounced back and the buzz around one of the world's great tourist destinations has returned," he said.
Mr Dominello said 5.5 million people successfully applied for the vouchers and the scheme is currently sitting at a 98 per cent customer satisfaction rate.
"The program was an Australian first and the technology behind the voucher system has created a new way for government to deliver direct, targeted budget relief when and wherever it may be required," he said.
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