You can’t miss the 85 foot tall by 65 foot wide Maryland State flag (hot air balloon) on the grounds of Linganore Wine Cellars in Frederick County – now through October 31st!
Piloted by Patrick Smith, the display fulfills his lifelong dream of owning a balloon depicting the state’s flag that began at a festival he attended with his parents at 4 years old.
“Every time I saw a balloon or drew a balloon on a doodle pad there was a Maryland flag on it,” he said. “The Maryland flag fits perfectly over a 12-way split, so this is a 12 gore balloon and we started playing around with some designs and it looks really good.”
The Maryland flag is the only state flag rooted in English heraldry. Prior to the Civil War, the colors associated with the state were generally yellow and black, which were George Calvert (Lord Baltimore)‘s paternal family’s heraldic colors. His mother, Alicia Crossland was an heiress, meaning her family was also entitled to a coat of arms. George Calvert was entitled to use either banner.
The state officially adopted the flag we know today in 1904.
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Source: Baltimore/CBS local
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