By Peter B. Gallagher

LAKELAND — Hot weather hampered activities but didn’t diminish a festive mood at the third annual Tampa Family Fun Day Aug. 24.

The waterslide was so hot it burned the skin, Joel Frank Jr. sat on a dunk tank praying to be dunked, and the canoes, bows and arrows, footballs, kickballs, stickballs and horseshoes didn’t move, waiting for next year.

But the heat didn’t stop about 50 Tribal members, staff members and their families from having a good time.

In fact, food truck vendors, Tribal arts and crafts, and musical chairs were popular attractions.

Kids were the luckiest as they cavorted about in pools of warmish water spiked with huge soap bubbles and putted around miniature golf holes. A few took rides on three-wheelers around the Tribe’s property.

Under a fan-cooled tent, a disc jockey played music – no one danced – to at least bring relief to the ears as the temperature seemed to continue rising as the day went on.

“It’s just Florida,” said Reservation Administrator Richard Henry from the cool cab of his pickup truck. “Seminoles have been dealing with this for years.”