Halloween Express sales down 40% due to I-43 construction

You know it's Halloween when you see the giant pumpkin at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, but with all the construction this year, the Milwaukee fixture may be in deep trouble.

\"Everybody turns into a kid when they're at the pumpkin,\" said Jon Majdoch, owner of Halloween Express.

For Majdoch, running Halloween Express is a labor of love.

\"I love everything about having a retail store,\" said Majdoch, \"you get to watch a customer come in and their eyes light up, they're just having fun.\"

The store has been a seasonal fixture along I-43 for the last decade.

\"People joke around that it must be nice to work only two months out of the year,\" said Majdoch, \"I actually work all year, I only get paid two months out of the year.\"

Although the store offers more than 10,000 items for just about any ghoul and goblin, this year, less customers are coming through the doors.

\"It's very difficult getting here,\" said Laurie Vielehr, a customer.

Construction along the Zoo Interchange has made it challenging for customers to find their way to the pumpkin.

\"We ended up getting off on Hawley Road, and driving all the way around,\" said Vielehr.

Majdoch sales are down 40% on a day to day basis.

\"It's kind of scary when you take that big of a hit,\" said Majdoch.

Majdoch says while he would love to keep the pumpkin in Milwaukee, he's starting to get offers from out of state to re-locate the pumpkin.

\"If we're not profitable, we can't afford to set up the pumpkin,\" said Majdoch.

Majdoch says it costs $50,000 alone to set up the pumpkin.