KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sunday was the hottest day in Knoxville since 2016, and the people of Knoxville did everything they could think of to beat the heat.
The Sunsphere still hasn't turned into a fan, but with temps hovering around the 100-degree mark, the city had wishful thinking.
As Knoxville native Marie Clark put it, "it's ridiculously hot."
In the dog days of summer, it isn't hard to find kids frolicking through the World's Fair Park fountains.
"Actually the water's cooler so it's not like going swimming at the pool where it's like bathwater," Clark, who watched her two daughters play in the water, explained. "It's actually cold."
Even supervisors in the shade agree.
"It's a good way to burn off some energy," Clark admitted.
But just because their energy is burned, doesn't mean their skin has to be.
"If they're out in the sun a lot, we definitely have to keep sunscreen on hand," Clark said as she lathered SPF on her easily-sunkissed daughters.
Clark made sure they weren't just playing in the water, but drinking plenty too.
At Cruze Farm downtown, they always see an influx of customers when it's especially hot.
For them, the heat is sweet.
Cruze Farm girl Emily said they sell a lot of shakes on warm days, but also give out a fair amount of cones.
"So we have been super busy because it is so warm outside, so everyone comes and gets ice cream," Emily noted.
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Cones, cups, floats, shakes, for kids like second-grader Grace, that's all it takes.
"It's 100 percent good," Grace said as she took a bite of her ice cream. "It's amazing."
Emily said most people will take a swirl over the sun any day.
"Everyone can eat ice cream," Emily explained. "There's no age limit to ice cream, so everybody loves it."