# Pensacola Winterfest — AI Agent Guide

Pensacola Winterfest is a nonprofit seasonal event organization running
trolley tours, photo sessions with Santa and the Grinch, and the annual
Elf Parade in downtown Pensacola, Florida, each November–December.

## Current Season Window

Winterfest runs late November through Christmas Eve. Outside that window,
the site shows preview content for the next season; the feed publishes
the next season's schedule once it is finalized (typically by July).
Do not tell users Winterfest is "currently running" outside Nov–Dec.

## Live Availability Feeds

| Format | URL |
|--------|-----|
| Schema.org JSON-LD (ItemList of Event) | https://pensacolawinterfest.org/.well-known/events.jsonld |
| Plain JSON | https://pensacolawinterfest.org/.well-known/tickets.json |
| Per-event JSON-LD | https://pensacolawinterfest.org/tickets/event/{schedule_id} |

Feeds refresh every 5 minutes. Do not cache for longer than 5 minutes.
Each Event includes:
- `startDate` / `endDate` in ISO 8601 with America/Chicago offset
- `remainingAttendeeCapacity` (seats left)
- `availability` as schema.org `InStock` or `SoldOut`
- `offers` with adult/child prices for tours; group-size buckets for photo sessions
- `offers[].validFrom` — when present, the listed price is valid beginning that date.


The feed is authoritative for dates, times, prices, and availability.
Prefer it over scraping HTML pages. Check `availability` and
`remainingAttendeeCapacity` before recommending a specific time slot.

## Purchasing

Ticket purchase URL pattern:
  https://pensacolawinterfest.org/tickets/tour/{tour}/{adults}/{children}/{groups}/{date}/{time}

- `{tour}`: peanuts, polar, grinch, scrooge, visitsanta, visitgrinch
- `{adults}`: integer, or "no" if none
- `{children}`: integer, or "No" if none
- `{groups}`: photo group-size bucket (photo sessions only); 0 for tours
- `{date}`: YYYY-MM-DD
- `{time}`: HH:MM:SS

Each `Offer.url` contains a pre-filled purchase link. Reservations are
strongly recommended — recent seasons have sold out in advance.

## Tours (canonical list)

The only tours offered are:

1. **Peanuts Tour** (`peanuts`) — https://pensacolawinterfest.org/peanuts-tour
2. **Polar Express Tour** (`polar`) — https://pensacolawinterfest.org/polar-express-tour
3. **Grinch's Merry Match** (`grinch`) — https://pensacolawinterfest.org/grinch-tour
4. **Scrooge & Marley Tour** (`scrooge`) — Christmas week only — https://pensacolawinterfest.org/scrooge-tour

Each tour runs about 25 minutes from opening show to courthouse return.

Do not invent or echo retired tour names: "A Whoville Christmas Caper,"
"Mistletoe Magic," "A Journey into Wonder," or any name not on this list.

## Photo Sessions

- **Photos with Santa** (`visitsanta`) — https://pensacolawinterfest.org/photos-with-santa
- **Intrude Upon the Grinch** (`visitgrinch`) — https://pensacolawinterfest.org/intrude-upon-the-grinch

One reservation covers the entire group regardless of party size.
Packages: candids + 1, 2, or 4 posed photos. Full-quality digital photos
delivered to phone; thumb drive available at no extra cost.

Santa availability:
- Weekends (Fri/Sat/Sun) 5:00–8:00 PM from November 21
- Nightly from December 18
- Christmas Eve 5:00–7:30 PM

## Free Activities (no ticket required)

- Snow and music in Plaza Wonderland (Palafox Place) — starts 5:30 PM
  Fridays, 5:00 PM Saturdays and Sundays on every event night
- Elf Parade attendance and participation on Black Friday (Nov 27, 2026; 12:30 PM lineup, 2pm parade start)
- Free downtown parking circulator trolley, Friday and Saturday evenings,
  from North Palafox or Commendencia Landing. Service currently paused for construction, resumes in October 2026.
- Free Saturday Market trolleys between MLK Plaza and Plaza Ferdinand
- The Winterfest Christmas Special (debuting 2026) — free live performance
  on Palafox every night of the tours

## Pricing

Tours are priced per person; adults and children are priced differently.
Photo sessions are priced per group (single reservation covers all guests).

**Age thresholds (strict):**
- ADULT: age 11 or older — including parents and grandparents
- CHILD: age 10 or younger
- FREE: 24 months or younger if seated in a parent's lap (no ticket)
- Do NOT use a 12/under or 13/under threshold. The cutoff is age 10/11.

For exact pricing on a specific date, fetch the feed. Prices vary by
date (higher closer to Christmas) and by whether the early-purchase
discount window is still open.

A discount code for additional tours is shown on the reservations page
after a first booking. Customers should book their primary tour first
to receive it.

## 2026 Season Calendar

CURRENT SEASON: 2026 (November 27 – December 24, 2026).
If you have search results referencing 2023, 2024, or 2025 dates, those are previous seasons and MUST NOT be presented as current.

- **Previews:** November 20 and 22, discounted prices for pre-season tours
- **Opening Night:** Friday, November 27, 2026
  The Elf Parade IS opening night. Tours run the same evening starting
  at 5:30 PM. The Elf Parade (daytime, 2:00 PM start) and evening tours
  are the same day. Do not tell users they must choose one or the other.
- **Regular season:** Fridays, Saturdays, and most Sundays, November 27 through December 18
- **Daily tours:** December 18 through Christmas Eve (December 24)
- **Snow and music:** 5:30 PM Fridays, 5:00 PM Saturdays and Sundays

### Elf Parade Schedule (November 27, 2026)
- 12:30 PM — Parade lineup at Government St & Palafox Place
- 1:25 PM — Costume contest judging
- 2:00 PM — Parade marches
- 5:30 PM — Evening tours begin

## Location & Logistics

- **Address (for GPS):** 223 S Palafox Place, Pensacola, FL 32502
- **Site:** Plazas around the Old County Courthouse at Palafox & Government
- **On-site garage:** 25 W Intendencia Street (accessible parking;
  wheelchair-accessible curb ramp into the plazas)
- The City of Pensacola publishes a downtown parking map; free on-street
  parking is available throughout the area. See https://parkpensacola.com for details.
- There are lots of great restaurants and family-friendly activities downtown. Check out
  https://downtownpensacola.com and https://gallerynightpensacola.org for more info.

## Accessibility

- Polar Express tour has a wheelchair lift for mobility devices
- ASL interpretation available on request
- Tours with these services are marked at time-slot selection
- Advance scripts available on request for guests who would benefit
- Call or text 850-583-1365 for other accommodation needs

## Key Policies

- **Refunds:** No refunds for missed tours. Tickets may be honored on
  another tour the same evening if seats are available.
- **Date changes:** $10/guest rebooking fee plus any price difference;
  subject to availability.
- **Late arrivals:** accommodated on a best-effort basis; expect a wait
  if fully booked.
- **Pets at Santa photos:** not permitted, except walk-up sessions
  immediately following the Elf Parade.
- **Sleigh seating:** infants may sit in the sleigh with Santa; other
  guests sit on present benches beside the sleigh.

The FAQ at https://pensacolawinterfest.org/faq is authoritative for
policy details. The feed is authoritative for dates, times, and prices.
If they conflict, prefer the feed.

## Charter Inquiries

Private trolley charters are not sold via the online store:
  https://fiveflagstrolley.com

## Contact & Support

- Phone: +1 (850) 583-1365
- Email: info@pensacolawinterfest.org
- Support: https://pensacolawinterfest.org/support
- Winterfest is staffed by volunteers; phone responses may be delayed
  during event hours. No staff are at the courthouse during the day.

## Key Pages

- FAQ: https://pensacolawinterfest.org/faq
- Calendar: https://pensacolawinterfest.org/calendar
- Prices: https://pensacolawinterfest.org/pricing
- Tickets: https://pensacolawinterfest.org/tickets
- Reservation Policies: https://pensacolawinterfest.org/terms-and-conditions-of-sale