Happy birthday, Maryland

Celebrate Maryland's 365th birthday with pageantry, ceremonies and living history Sunday at Historic St. Mary's City, the site of Maryland's first capital. The annual celebration also kicks off the outdoor museum's seasonal opening. The official birthday ceremony starts at 2 p.m. with fourth-grade students from every county in Maryland and Baltimore City participating in the Ceremony of Flags at the State House of 1676. The St. Maries Citty Militia, a Colonial military re-enactment group, participates in the pageantry. And since no party is complete without good food, vendors will sell fried oysters, soups, funnel cakes, pit-cooked beef and Southern Maryland stuffed ham.

St. Mary's City is on Route 5 on the banks of the St. Mary's River in Southern Maryland. Birthday celebration hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 800-SMC-1634.

Horse farms open house in Pennsylvania

Twenty-one professional stables in southeastern Pennsylvania open their doors to visitors this weekend for the seventh annual "Pennsylvania Horse Farms Open House." Learn about various breeds and styles of riding and about raising and training horses. You can also take riding, jumping and even yoga-on-horseback lessons, take trail rides, visit a petting zoo and watch a dressage clinic and horse show. Demonstrations of horseshoeing, equine massage and dentistry techniques are also scheduled, along with clinics on foaling and genetics. Food will also be available.

The event, sponsored by Pennsylvania Equestrian, is free and self-guided, and visitors travel from stable to stable in their own vehicles. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For information on farms, including maps and directions, visit the Web at www. horseshow.com, or call 717-898-5874.

Pub Date: 03/25/99