PHIPPSBURG

Once a year, when flares and noise-makers enliven the Popham Beach nightscape, George Popham makes an appearance of sorts.

George Popham, of course, has not been among the living since 1608. That was a year after the pioneering colonist sailed from Plymouth with two ships and about 120 people and landed at the mouth of the Kennebec River. There, he erected the first English settlement in New England, and the beach, of course, bears his name.

At 7:45 p.m. today, Popham Beach will celebrate its history with its annual Flare Night. Proceeds will benefit the Popham Beach Library, where so much of the area’s rich history can be found.

“George Popham wakes up and he leads the parade to the beach,” said David Percy, who with his wife, Tracy, operates nearby Percy’s Store. “There are kazoos, flares and funny hats. It’s pretty much for the kids. All we do is open up the parking lot and sell flares.”

At 7:30 p.m., kids and “kids at heart” assemble at the Fort Baldwin parking lot for the 7:45 parade.

All in all, it’s a sight to behold.

“It is gorgeous,” Tracy Percy said. “When the church bells ring, that’s the signal to start the flares. Everybody starts at once.”

lgrard@timesrecord