The OpSail Connecticut team is looking for some Facebook friends, 1812 of them, in fact.

"We'd like more, of course," said John S. Johnson, chairman of OpSail 2012 Connecticut, "but the number 1812 is important because it symbolizes what we'll be doing July 6-9 in southeastern Connecticut."

What the OpSail team will be doing is staging what will be Connecticut's largest, and most colorful extravaganza this year. It will be part of a national observance of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

That war has been called the last battle of the American Revolutionary War and the Second American Revolutionary War. It gave the country its national anthem and some of its engagements took place along the Connecticut shoreline, in Stonington, Essex and New London.

"Our observance will start the night of July 6 in Niantic, where a festive reception that includes a fireworks show will greet the tall ships arriving here," said Johnson. "The next day those ships will head for the Thames River and take part in a parade of sail, led by America's tall ship, our own Coast Guard barque Eagle."

In addition to food courts, shipboard visits and other activities, a gigantic fireworks show will light the night skies over the Thames Rive on July 7, thanks to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

"It will be something that people won't soon forget," Johnson said. "Our festival will have not one, but two fireworks displays. Gov. Malloy has signed on as our honorary chairman and we expect a great time."

Operation Sail, the national organization overseeing the anniversary celebration, has joined with the U.S. Navy in a salute to the national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," and they are calling the tall ship visits to seven U.S. ports the Star Spangled Sail.

In addition to New London, the port visits will include New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Baltimore, Annapolis and Boston.

"This war gave our country Francis Scott Key's stirring anthem, but also made our national leaders understand the need for our country to have a strong Navy," said Johnson. "We're taking part in something that will be fun and something that is truly historic."

Locally, the work has been under way for months with plans for shipboard visits and other activities among the public offerings in Niantic and New London's historic waterfront district. In Niantic, the tall ships visit is being incorporated into the annual Celebrate East Lyme. In New London, the ships will visit at the time New London traditionally throws its annual waterfront festival, Sailfest.

"We'll be having more of the activities to announce as our plans are firmed up, and that includes the names of ships we will have in port during the event," Johnson said. In the meantime, he asked people to become friends of OpSail2012CT and visit the group's website, www.OpSail2012CT.org.

"This is Connecticut's celebration of an important national event, the War of 1812, and the creation of our national anthem. Southeastern Connecticut is going to be alive with fun and informative activities. We want people to become our friends on Facebook," he said.

Nearly 1 million people visited the city during the last OpSail in 2000.

OPSAIL, THE NATIONAL GROUP, IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1961 WITH THE ENDORSEMENT OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY. BACKED BY A JOINT CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION, ITS MISSION IS TO ADVANCE SAIL TRAINING AND PROMOTE GOODWILL AMONG NATIONS.