Published: Friday, May 30, 2008 10:23 PM EDT

DARLINGTON TWP. — Darlington Days, this community’s annual summer kickoff, is usually the talk of the town this time of year. On Friday, however, the polo game, parade and tractor pull took a back seat to UFOs and aliens.

Ken Emanuel, of Unity, Ohio, snapped photos with his cellular phone outside of Rick’s Place, 3551 Darlington Road, Darlington Township, just after dusk on Thursday.

Emanuel, who admitted to drinking “a couple” beers but said he wasn’t drunk, noticed the three white lights when leaving the bar. Unlike an airplane or fireworks, the lights made no noise, he said.

Bartender Crystal Zimny, who said she hadn’t been drinking, also spied the lights. They were independent of one another and moved slightly before disappearing into the sky, she said.

“It was really a crazy sight,” said Zimny. Her guess was that a neighbor shot something into the air.

A small airplane flew near the lights as they disappeared, Emanuel said. Phone calls to the Beaver County Airport in Chippewa Township were not answered Friday.

Authorities reported no calls about the lights. Rodney Smith, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s office in Moon Township, said there was no abnormal atmospheric activity in the area. Glen Watterson, who hosted a firework show following Friday’s polo match, said there were no test fireworks launched Thursday.

Jason Wade, the township’s former fire chief, did not see the lights but offered his take on the odd situation. “Darlington Days is this weekend,” he said. “Maybe the aliens wanted to come check it out.”

Cory Nealon can be reached online at cnealon@timesonline.com.