Galway’s ‘Skeleton House’ cancels haunted hayride

GALWAY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Jessica Fragnoli is known for having the "Skeleton House" across the street from the Galway Public Library. Each spooky season, she puts out skeleton displays depicting scenes from movies and other pop culture references in front of her home on East Street.

In 2023, Fragnoli hosted the first haunted hayride at the Skeleton House. The hayride was not-for-profit, so Fragnoli had sponsors, volunteers, and asked attendees to bring donations for the Saratoga County Animal Shelter or the Galway Food Pantry.

This year, Fragnoli was planning on hosting the not-for-profit haunted hayride again, but she canceled it on Monday. This was due to lack of sponsorship and volunteers.

"I think money is tight for everyone right now," Fragnoli told NEWS10. "Last year, I really didn’t have to do anything, Once word got out about the hayride, sponsors were contacting me left and right. This year, I tried to be proactive and reach out to multiple businesses because of our need for increased funding and nine times out of 10, I received no response. It’s pretty disheartening."

The haunted hayride was set for October 11 and 12 with the theme CarnEvil. Bounce houses, face painting and other activities were also set for the event. Fragnoli said any monetary donations she received for the hayride will be repaid in full.

As for next year, Fragnoli would love to hold the haunted hayrides again, but she's unsure at this point. However, she'll still be putting up her skeleton displays this Halloween with the first display happening this coming weekend.