Check out these 8 small businesses in Summit County for offbeat gifts this holiday season

Sure, you could just shop online or visit a big chain store for your holiday shopping. But what's the fun in that?

There are plenty of locally owned and operated small businesses throughout Summit County that offer the chance to find unusual and unexpected gifts for even the hardest-to-shop-for person in your life.

This Saturday is Small Business Saturday, which American Express launched in 2010 to encourage people to "Shop Small" in their local communities, especially during the holiday season.

The retail holiday has become a day to spotlight the many small businesses that provide customers with a personalized shopping experience.

Looking to slim down your holiday shopping list at local shops? Below are just a few of the stores in Summit County to visit on Small Business Saturday and throughout the season.

The Market Path

Address: 1265 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Copley

Website: www.themarketpath.com/index.html

Phone: 330-258-9003

Alpaca scarves from Bolivia. Items made from olive wood from the West Bank. Metal works recycled from oil drums from Haiti. Lamps made of leaves from the Philippines. Jewelry and ceramic items from countries around the world.

All of these and more can be found on The Market Path, which was started 14 years ago as a mission project of First Grace United Church of Christ, said Pat Bell, who assists at the store, which is run by volunteers.

The Market Path first opened in Highland Square, then moved to its location in Copley four years ago.

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"Our big seller is the alpaca," Bell said. "We have children's jackets, ear warmers, gloves. Right now, we are putting out a lot of handmade ornaments for the holidays."

Heather's Heat and Flavor

Address: 94 First St., Hudson

Website: www.heatandflavor.com/

Phone: 330-653-5131

Among the many stores located in Hudson's First & Main shopping center, Heather's Heat and Flavor stocks a dazzling variety of herbs, spices, sauces and more.

Spice blends tailored for use with fish, poultry, beef and vegetables are available.

According to owner Karen Marks, the shop makes about 20% to 30% of the spice blends on the shelves. The remaining blends come from other wholesale outlets that make products up to her standards.

She recommends the blends for someone shopping for the cook in their life. For anyone cooking a holiday meal, Marks suggests the holiday turkey rub.

"We're more than famous for it," Marks said. "You take a little bit of it — I'm going to say 2 to 3 tablespoons — with a stick of butter, and shove it under the skin and over the skin, and bake the turkey." There's also a brine available that's made with the same seasoning as the turkey rub.

The best-selling item in the store is Heather's Butt Rub, a smoky mixture for use with pork shoulder. Heather's Heat and Flavor also has Terrapin Farms gift sets coming in soon.

"There's always something for everyone at Heather's," Marks said.

Duck Duck Games

Address:  9 S. Main St., Unit 3, Munroe Falls

Website: https://duckduck.games/?v=0a10a0b3e53b

Phone: 330-431-8844

The nostalgia of unwrapping the newest console or video game in a favorite franchise is a happy memory for many.

Duck Duck Games in Munroe Falls is the perfect place to help the gamer in your life relive those memories while making new ones this season.

This freshly opened store specializes in buying, selling and trading games, consoles and collectibles with the promise of an expanded inventory in the days to come. Its Facebook page boasts photos of N64 games, vintage PC titles, Pokémon plushies and more.

For $25, you can buy a yearlong membership to the store that unlocks a slew of perks, including 10% off used games and accessories and automatic entry into all raffles and drawings the store may hold.

Beau's Market & Deli

Address: 1275 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Copley

Website: https://beausmarket.com

Phone: 234-466-7720

Looking for a respite during all of that holiday shopping? Or perhaps you are looking for a cheese and meat tray for a party or gift?

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Beau's Market and Deli, which opened earlier this year where Shisler's Cheese House was located in Copley, sells Boar's Head meats and cheeses as well as a variety of sandwiches and wines. The store also offers specialty foods and gift items, including a focus on locally made brands, from Muck Monster hot sauce from Hartville to Cleveland Ketchup Co. to Urban Buzz Candle Co. of Akron.

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Beau's also has a full-service restaurant and full bar for those needing a nibble or a nip during their shopping spree.

Bizzy Beads Boutique

Address: Inside Northside Marketplace, 21 Furnace St., Akron

Website: www.bizzybeads.biz/shop-4

Phone: 216-309-1967

Shopping for someone who loves quirky jewelry and food? Here's a place to get both in one gift.

Bizzy Beads is among the several dozen small businesses located in Akron's Northside Marketplace.

The business is best known for its handcrafted miniature food charms, earrings and necklaces.

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The tiny clay charms — which include various flavors of ice cream cones, loaded baked potatoes, s’mores, nut-crusted caramel apples, tacos and more — look so real that owner Kimberley Camp warns customers that the little pieces of artwork are not edible.

Other unique offerings include natural stone bracelets, cured resin doughnut pendants that look like multicolor blown glass and jewelry made from slices of mokume gane polymer resin.  Mokume gane is a technique used in Japanese metalworking that makes metal look like layers of wood. When applied to clay, it gives swirls and bursts of color.

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Fawn and Fanny

Address: 4338 Kent Road, Unit 200, Stow

Website: www.fawnandfanny.com/

Phone: 330-849-5044

If you've ever wanted to take a hands-on approach to skin care, Fawn and Fanny is the place to go.

Billed as an "interactive specialty boutique," Fawn and Fanny allows customers to build their own bath, body and skin care products using their diverse range of ingredients. Step one is picking what product you'd like to make. Next is choosing from more than 120 scents stocked in-store to pair with your choice. Finally, an employee guides you through blending your ingredients to create your own personalized product.

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Shopping for people can be hard enough without trying to create a specifically tailored beauty product for them, so if you're unsure about what kind of shampoo to make for your recipient, gift cards are available from $10 to $200.

Metropolis Popcorn

Address: 2164 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls; and 72 N. Main St., No. 6, Hudson

Website: www.metropolisohio.com

Phone: 330-928-6446 (Cuyahoga Falls) and 330-342-0300 (Hudson)

Metropolis Popcorn in Cuyahoga Falls recently celebrated 10 years of satisfying the salty and sweet cravings of its customers.

The popcorn shop, which also has a location in Hudson that opened two years ago, is gearing up for the holidays, with flavors such as snickerdoodle and white chocolate peppermint, said owner Brent VanFossen. Other year-round favorites include midnight caramel.

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"Midnight caramel is caramel corn with a drizzle of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt," VanFossen said. "It's sweet, slightly salty and free of most allergens.

"We really stress customer service, whether they order in person or order online from us."

VanFossen added that a popular feature at the store is that customers can taste a sample before deciding to make a purchase.

Coburn's Quilting Plus

Address: 527 W. Tuscarawas Ave., Barberton

Website: www.coburnsquiltingplus.com

Phone: 330-310-7346

Thinking of giving a personalized quilt to someone as a gift, but daunted at the amount of work involved? Then the staff at Coburn's Quilting Plus in Barberton may be able to lend a hand.

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Coburn's Quilting Plus, which has had four generations working there, has been in the quilting business for 30 years, said Joyce Coburn. Coburn said her mother had initially purchased a shop with a friend in the late ’70s.

Today, the store not only offers quilting but embroidery, sewing and alterations.

A big trend right now are T-shirt quilts made from a person's T-shirt collection. Coburn said her daughter recently came to work at the quilt store to expand opportunities at Coburn's, which currently averages 100 to 150 T-shirt quilts per year. It takes the store about four weeks to make a T-shirt quilt.

Contract reporter Derek Kreider at dkreider@gannett.com and April Helms at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Check out these 8 Akron-area stores for Small Business Saturday