Petition pushing to move Halloween to final Saturday of October gathers 80K signatures

ANOKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - An online petition to move the day of Halloween is picking up steam.

The proposed change is all an effort to make celebrations safer for kids - but, not everyone is on board. The petition seeks to move Halloween to the final Saturday of October each year, meaning this year, the holiday would fall on October 26 instead of the 31st.

The Halloween and Costume Association is behind the push, citing safety reasons and statistics. The group says, “It’s time for a safer, longer stress-free celebration.”

The petition is gaining momentum, but not everyone likes the idea.

"I’m very against it," says father Jake Allen. "I don’t think it’s any safer to have it on a Saturday. I’ve never had any issues. I’ve been out trick-or-treating my entire childhood and taken these guys out on a Halloween and never had any issues."

For reaction, we headed to Anoka -- the Halloween capital of the world.

"Well, I kind of think leave well enough alone," adds Erik Skogquist of the Anoka City Council.

Skogquist says the October 31st Halloween celebration has been a tradition in Anoka for 99 years.

"I see the pros and cons both ways but to me it just makes sense to kind of leave it. That’s what people are familiar with," he said.

The petition has surpassed its goal of 75,000 signatures. The next step is to take the results to the White House.

One petition signer wrote, "It makes more sense to have it on a Saturday so that we don't have to worry about getting kids home and in bed early for school the next day."

"My youngest son’s birthday is Halloween, and it’s the coolest birthday ever, and yeah, I’m not going to have anyone change that," argues Allen.

The petition was created last fall. At last check, it's generated more than 80,000 signatures.