There was a flutter of activity and even some walking of the plank last Saturday on the grounds of McKee Botanical Garden during the ninth annual Fairy & Pirate Festival.

Magical woodland creatures and swashbuckling pirates took over the garden for an enchanted morning of fun while exploring the waterfalls and native flora and fauna of McKee. The lush garden is a perfect place for sprites and other magical creatures to make their homes in fallen logs, by babbling brooks and in the hollows of ancient trees. It was just as easy to imagine pirates plundering through the trees to conquer invaders and find buried treasure.

“The garden is the perfect place for children to use their imaginations and explore,” said Christine Hobart, McKee executive director. She added that this year’s anticipated 1,200 fairies and pirates would also be able to take a peek at the Children’s Garden, which is scheduled to open this summer.

Children could put butterfly wishes into a Wishing Well, took a turn around the Maypole and went on a treasure hunt for statues from the Seward Johnson “Celebrating the Familiar” exhibit. With a little pixie dust, the Royal Palm Grove was transformed into the Gnome Depot, where visitors could build fairy houses out of natural building materials such as bamboo.

Magic Mike wowed with tricks, Capt. Jack Sparrow and Red Rose posed by the pond, and a balloon artist made swords for pirate battles. A wooden pirate ship gave youngsters a go at captaining the ship and walking the plank, and once past the pirates, it was smooth sailing at the Fairy Crossing for more activities.

While pirates mingled with Capt. Red Legs Greaves and his sidekick Kosh the parrot, others were ‘tattooed’ in the Great Hall where Fairy House building submissions were on display or enjoyed fairy hair embellishments in the Spanish Kitchen.

McKee will host the 15th annual Waterlily Celebration on June 15. For more information, visit mckeegarden.org.