YOUNGSTOWN — Mark and Carol Zuppo have been making a fall foliage trip to Mill Creek MetroParks and Fellows Riverside Gardens for 44 years. A part of their current tradition is having a meal at the Garden Cafe in the Gardens.

But because the best foliage came a couple of weeks later this year than normal, Carol Zuppo found that her foliage trip intersected with a holiday open house at the Shop in the Gardens, which started Thursday and continues through today.

Being able to buy some early Christmas decorations and other holiday items was nice, Carol said, because many people are doing their holiday shopping early this year over concerns that some holiday items will be in short supply because of COVID-19, she said.

Carol said she already experienced the shortage of artificial Christmas trees when she went shopping earlier, she said.

“It’s all getting started early,” she said of holiday shopping.

Not only did she enjoy looking at the holiday merchandise at The Shop In the Gardens on Saturday, but she already has gone to Jimmy’s Italian Specialties on Belmont Avenue in Liberty to buy escarole, meatballs and Romano cheese for her wedding soup, she said.

Another couple who made the trip to Mill Creek MetroParks on Saturday was Nick and Cheryl Garritano of Canfield, who said they have been stopping at the Shop in the Gardens around this time of year since it opened about 20 years ago.

“We’ve been coming in for about 20 years,” Cheryl said. “It brings the holiday spirit.”

Nick said he likes that the items at the shop are unique compared to other places to shop. Cheryl said some of her favorite items are the postcards the store sells that show locations in Mill Creek MetroParks.

Nick and Cheryl grew up in Youngstown not far from the park, so that is why they enjoy all things Mill Creek Park, Nick said.

The open house runs noon to 5 p.m. today.

In addition to shopping this weekend, a large number of people visited the gardens to enjoy the foliage, including Jocelyn Palmer of Niles and Nate McCartney of Leavittsburg, who spent some time walking through the Rose Garden.

erunyan@vindy.com