Christmas markets, light displays and tree farms near a US place, with official dates and sources.
Scored across 2 tools
The two tools target clearly different attraction types, and each description explicitly cross-references the other to steer selection, which is excellent. The only wrinkle is that the first tool bundles two distinct queries (light displays and choose-and-cut tree farms) behind a 'light_displays'/'tree_farms' switch, so an agent must parse a parameter rather than pick a clean tool.
Both names follow an identical verb_noun snake_case pattern (find_christmas_*), differing only in the subject noun. There is no mixing of conventions, casing, or verb styles.
Two tools is thin for a discovery service covering three attraction categories; splitting lights and tree farms (or adding a detail/lookup tool) would be more natural. It is not absurdly thin since both tools do substantive work, but it sits at the borderline.
The surface covers search-by-location for the three main holiday attraction types, but there is no way to fetch details for a specific venue, list more than 5 results, or query broadly, and international coverage is deliberately absent. These are workable limitations for a lightweight finder but leave notable gaps.
Use this when someone asks where to see Christmas lights (drive-through or walk-through displays) or where to cut their own Christmas tree (choose-and-cut tree farms) near a US city, state or ZIP code, optionally on certain dates in the 2026 season. Choose "light_displays" or "tree_farms". Returns up to 5 results, nearest first, each with the organizer's published dates and hours (or a note that the dates are not announced yet), how it is viewed or what the farm offers, the official or visitor-bureau page we checked, the date we checked it, the date the answer stops being served and a link to our page. Dates change: always send people to the official site to confirm. Do not use this to list every display or farm, for places outside the United States, for tickets or lodging, or for Christmas markets (find_christmas_markets covers those).
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| kind | Yes | "light_displays" for Christmas light displays, "tree_farms" for choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms. | |
| place | Yes | The place to search around: "City, ST" (for example "Edmond, OK"), a US state, or a 5-digit ZIP code. 2-60 characters. Wildcards and "all" are not accepted. | |
| viewing | No | Optional, light displays only: only drive-through or only walk-through displays. Ignored for tree farms. | |
| end_date | No | Optional last day, YYYY-MM-DD. Date ranges are limited to 120 days. | |
| start_date | No | Optional first day you want to go, YYYY-MM-DD (2026 season). Leave out to search from today. | |
| radius_miles | No | Optional search radius in miles, 5 to 250. Default 60. Ignored when the place is a whole state. |
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| note | No | |
| results | Yes | |
| more_info | Yes | |
| attribution | Yes | |
| result_count | Yes | |
| more_available | Yes |
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile needs no restating. The description earns credit for adding behavior the annotations cannot: result cap of 5, nearest-first ordering, an expiry date on the answer, and the 'dates change – always send people to the official site' freshness caveat.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
Dense but front-loaded: the use-case leads, the exclusions close, and each clause carries information. The return-shape enumeration ('the date we checked it, the date the answer stops being served and a link to our page') is slightly list-like and partially duplicates the output schema, costing a point.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
With annotations covering safety, a 100%-covered input schema, an output schema (so return values need no explanation), and now explicit freshness/expiry behavior and exclusions, an agent has everything needed to call this correctly against a single sibling.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3; the description goes beyond it by framing the kind choice as a binary switch ('Choose "light_displays" or "tree_farms"') and by tying start_date/end_date to the 2026 season. It does not restate radius or viewing semantics, which the schema already handles well.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
States a specific verb and twin resources ('where to see Christmas lights... or where to cut their own Christmas tree'), plus geographic scope (US city/state/ZIP) and season (2026). It explicitly names the sibling it is not ('find_christmas_markets covers those'), so an agent can route between the two without opening a schema.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
Gives explicit when-to-use ('someone asks where to see... or cut their own tree... near a US city'), when-not-to-use (list every display, non-US places, tickets/lodging, Christmas markets), and the sibling alternative for the excluded case. Nothing is left to inference.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Use this when someone asks where and when Christmas markets (Christkindlmarkts, holiday and craft markets) are near a US city, state or ZIP code, optionally on certain dates in the 2026 season. Returns up to 5 markets, nearest first, each with the organizer's published dates and hours (or a note that the dates are not announced yet), venue, setting, entry type, the official or visitor-bureau page we checked, the date we checked it, the date the answer stops being served and a link to our page. Dates change: always send people to the organizer's site to confirm. Do not use this to list every market, for markets outside the United States, for tickets or lodging, or for light displays and tree farms (find_christmas_lights_and_tree_farms covers those).
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| place | Yes | The place to search around: "City, ST" (for example "Edmond, OK"), a US state, or a 5-digit ZIP code. 2-60 characters. Wildcards and "all" are not accepted. | |
| end_date | No | Optional last day, YYYY-MM-DD. Date ranges are limited to 120 days. | |
| start_date | No | Optional first day you want to go, YYYY-MM-DD (2026 season). Leave out to search from today. | |
| radius_miles | No | Optional search radius in miles, 5 to 250. Default 60. Ignored when the place is a whole state. |
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| note | No | |
| results | Yes | |
| more_info | Yes | |
| attribution | Yes | |
| result_count | Yes | |
| more_available | Yes |
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, destructiveHint=false and openWorldHint=false, so safety is covered. The description adds genuinely new behavior: a cap of 5 results ordered nearest-first, per-result freshness metadata (organizer page checked, check date, expiry date), a possibly-unannounced date state, and a staleness warning telling the agent to redirect users to the organizer. It does not mention auth or rate limits, but none appear relevant.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
Purpose and scope are front-loaded, and the exclusions land at the end where they are easy to scan. The middle sentence enumerating every returned field is long and partly redundant with the output schema, which is the only real source of bloat.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
With an output schema present the description does not need to explain return values, yet the enumeration of freshness fields (checked date, expiry date) is the key detail for trusting results. Coverage, radius, date window and the sibling boundary are all addressed, leaving nothing an agent needs missing.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema description coverage is 100%, so every parameter including the 'place' formats, the YYYY-MM-DD dates, the 120-day range limit and the 5-250 mile radius is already documented. The description adds only light framing (US places, 2026 season, 'optionally on certain dates'), which is marginal beyond the schema — baseline 3 is appropriate.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
States a specific verb and resource ('where and when Christmas markets ... are near a US city, state or ZIP code'), including the aliases (Christkindlmarkts, holiday and craft markets) an agent may need to match. It explicitly distinguishes itself from the sibling find_christmas_lights_and_tree_farms, so no schema-diving is needed to route.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
Gives both when-to-use (someone asks where/when markets are near a US place, optionally on 2026-season dates) and explicit when-not-to-use (not for exhaustive lists, non-US markets, tickets/lodging, or lights and tree farms), naming the alternative tool for the last case.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
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