KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Festival on the 4th returned to Knoxville on Thursday, bringing big crowds in high temperatures.
"If you want ice cream, you want shaved ice, hot dogs, kettle corn, this is the place to be," said Kyndra Brewer, the special events director for the City of Knoxville. "Also, at 5 p.m., you'll be able to get into the lake, what we call the lazy river, around the SunSphere and paddle boat."
That's not the only way to cool off. The festival also offered water wars, a kind of water balloon game. Participants were given a slingshot and a bucket, hoping to get water balloons into opponents' buckets.
The festival also brought live music and fireworks. But, organizers worked to make sure people stayed hydrated in the extreme heat on Thursday.
"We are partnering with KUB," said Brewer. "They will have their water trolley on site, so there'll be plenty of access to cool water. We have the fountains that you can splash in. Also, a lot of the vendors will be selling water, but we'll also have bottled water that we'll be giving away at our information booth, KFD will be on site."
Scruffy City Hot Dogs was at the festival for the second year in a row — offering meals and snacks. Owners said they aimed to sell a lot during the festival.
"Well, we hope to do as good as we did last year, at least," said Walker. "But most we just, we're just having fun. It's a good time."
Brewer said while there was no exact way to count the number of people who attended the festival, they expected thousands to stop by.