Last April 16, some friends and I went up to Boston to watch a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. But it wasn't just an ordinary ball game. It began at 11 a.m., making it the only morning game on Major League Baseball's entire 2001 schedule, the novelty of which lent a giddy air of escapism to the proceedings, sort of like playing hooky or getting a snow day.

After watching the Sox beat the Yankees, we walked a few blocks from the stadium to Boylston Street and were just in time to see the first wave of runners finish the Boston Marathon, which was taking place that afternoon. If we had driven over to Concord, we could have seen a re-enactment of one of the first battles of the American Revolution, at the Old North Bridge, or some special festivities at Minuteman National Historical Park. It was, in short, a really fun day to be in Massachusetts.

This is Patriots' Day, which falls on the third Monday of April. Observed by only two states (the other is Maine), it commemorates Paul Revere's ride and the Shot Heard 'Round the World. In Massachusetts -- the holiday's "home state," so to speak -- Patriots' Day has become an annual party, complete with its own traditions like the morning Red Sox game, the running of the marathon and lots of history-minded activities. Not bad for a holiday that most Americans have never heard of. And not a bad reason to travel to the Bay State on April 15 this year.

Sept. 12 is Defenders Day in Maryland.

Patriots' Day in Massachusetts is probably the most prominent example of an interesting travel opportunity created by an obscure state holiday, but it's hardly the only one. Most states observe at least one historical holiday, honoring either a favorite son (Truman Day in Missouri), a notable local event (Bennington Battle Day in Vermont) or state heritage (Arbor Day in Nebraska). Sometimes these are treated like "real" holidays, with schools and banks closing and state employees getting the day off; in other cases, the observance is more cultural than municipal. Almost every state holiday, however, involves some sort of commemorative activity that makes it interesting and educational to be in the state on that day. These state holidays provide a composite course in the history that binds us together as Americans.

One of the most evocative state holidays takes place each June 19 in Texas. Officially designated as Emancipation Day, but more commonly called Juneteenth, it honors the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston and announced that all Texas slaves were free -- news that had somehow failed to be delivered previously, even though the Civil War had ended more than two months earlier and the Emancipation Proclamation had been in effect since 1863. Subsequent explanations for the delay have ranged from the benign (a messenger carrying the news died en route) to the unconscionable (whites withheld the news from blacks in order to keep plantations running smoothly), but in any case June 19 has remained a day of widespread inspiration and celebration in Texas' black community.

Thousands of Lone Star ex-pats return to Texas each year for Juneteenth gatherings, the most notable of which takes place in the town of Mexia, about midway between Austin and Dallas. It was here, in 1898, that a group of former slaves purchased 30 acres of land specifically for commemorating the history and heritage of emancipation. A century later, that land is the site of an annual three-day Juneteenth celebration that typically includes prayer services, cookouts, beauty and dance contests and a parade. Other festivals take place throughout the state (and also here and there around the country, as Juneteenth has gradually become a nationwide symbol of black heritage). For an overview of activities, check out www.juneteenth.com.

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Of course, every state was once either a colony or a territory, so many state holidays celebrate a state's admission to the Union. Nevada, for example, achieved statehood on Oct. 31, 1864, and Nevada Day is now celebrated annually on the last Saturday in October (for details, see www.nevadaday.com). I attended last year's Nevada Day festivities in Carson City, the state capital, and it was a blast, beginning with a huge parade down the city's main drag. Admission was free to the excellent Nevada State Museum (housed in the old Carson City Mint, which in 1870 began minting coins using ore from the Comstock Lode, one of history's richest precious-metal strikes); the beautiful governor's mansion was open for tours; the state's mining heritage was celebrated with a rock-drilling contest; and there was a best-beard contest on the capitol steps. Later in the day, I drove around the perimeter of nearby Lake Tahoe, particularly beautiful in the autumn sunlight. It was a fun day -- plus, I learned that Nevada's heritage encompasses much more than just gambling, brothels and quickie divorces.

Not all state holidays are quaint civics lessons--some are dark or even controversial. Most southern states, for example, observe either Confederate Memorial Day, Jefferson Davis' birthday or both, straining the region's racial tensions. And Rhode Island continues to observe Victory Day--often called V-J Day--even though the holiday has sometimes engendered anti-Asian violence.

Most state holidays, however, are happy occasions. And no place is happier in this regard than Oklahoma, which has 10 state holidays, including two that honor Native Americans -- the nation's only two American Indian commemorative state observances, as it turns out. Wonder why? So did I, so I did some research and learned that Oklahoma was once known as Indian Territory and that the name Oklahoma is actually Choctaw for red man. All of which is just another quick history primer courtesy of state holidays.

June 11: King Kamehameha I Day (Hawaii). Hawaiians celebrate their cultural heritage on this day by honoring Kamehameha the Great, who helped unite the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s. For more information, call the Oahu Visitors Bureau at 808-586-0333.

July 24: Pioneer Day (Utah). Although Utah didn't join the Union until 1896, the seeds for statehood were sown on this day in 1847, when the Mormons, led by Brigham Young, arrived in the Salt Lake Valley after fleeing their former settlement in Nauvoo, Ill. For info, call 801-250-3890.

Sept. 12: Defenders Day (Maryland). This holiday commemorates the War of 1812's pivotal Battle of Fort McHenry with special programs at Fort McHenry National Monument (410-962-4290) and elsewhere. For more, call the Maryland Tourism Board at 800-634-7386.