In this heat, just walking outside can make you break a sweat.

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But imagine wearing long sleeves and a hard hat in 100-degree weather.

The relentless sun and blistering heat did not scare away the crowds
visiting the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall.

Cooling stations, water stops and lots of refreshing treats are in large supply.

And organizers urged people to take it slowly and take frequent breaks .

Marilyn Gugliotta and her family are doing just that.

"We're just spraying water and trying to keep up on fluids," she says.

The heat wave in the D.C. area has now hit record levels. This is day eight of temperatures of 95 or higher.

For people who have to work outside, this has turned into a brutal stretch.

"If you deal with it everyday you get used to it," says Reginald Winston, a letter carrier in Bethesda. "The first hot day it's tough and then you get used to it. Every year it's gonna get like this."

By mid-afternoon Thursday, temperatures reached 100 degrees in Arlington.

Construction crews wearing long sleeves and several layers of protective clothing had to suffer through.

Matt Sherwood is working both on the top floor of a building project and on an elevator shaft underground.

"We have fans running," he says. "We have water for all the guys. We take breaks. We're conditioned to doing it."

But not everyone--people or pets--are conditioned to stay out long periods in this heat.