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Musco Sports Center wins People’s All-Star Community Award

By Linda Cook,

17 hours ago

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The City of Muscatine has announced that the Musco Sports Center has won the 2026 People’s All-Star Community Award, presented by the Iowa League of Cities. The final crown was secured on Sept. 24, 2026, after a highly competitive, statewide bracket-style tournament conducted via public voting.

The Musco Sports Center, recognized as the largest inflatable air-supported sports dome in Iowa, captured the hearts and votes of community members across the state. In the final round of the bracket, Muscatine went head-to-head against Toledo’s Iowa Juvenile Home Campus Transformation project, ultimately emerging victorious when public voting concluded.

The official announcement was made during the Awards Banquet at the Iowa League of Cities Annual Conference & Exhibit. This annual competition highlights innovative local government projects that significantly improve quality of life, community engagement, and regional development across Iowa.

"This award belongs to the entire Muscatine community," said Muscatine Mayor Brad Bark. "The Musco Sports Center represents a major leap forward for local recreation, youth sports, and regional tourism. Seeing our community rally together on Facebook to vote us to the top shows just how much pride our residents have in Muscatine's future."

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The Musco Sports Center serves as a premier hub for year-round athletic events, indoor training, and community gatherings, overcoming Iowa's seasonal weather barriers to keep families active.

Sixteen innovative community projects started the race for the 2026 Iowa League of Cities People’s All‑Star Community Award, and after four rounds of state-wide public voting, the champion has been named – Muscatine’s Musco Sports Center.

Musco Sports Center powered its way into the finals and edged out Toledo’s Iowa Juvenile Home Campus Transformation (new elite learning center for South Tama County Middle School) for the 2026 title.

This award celebrates creative, impactful local government projects across Iowa — and Muscatine’s entry showcases one of the most transformative investments the community has made in decades.

This is the third time in the 12-year history of the award that Muscatine has been nominated. In 2019, Muscatine’s Mississippi Drive Corridor Reconstruction Project lost in another close race to Evansdale’s Angels Park Memorial Island Project. Muscatine was also in the 2018 competition with the Deep Lakes Trail Project but lost to Marshalltown (West End futsal Courts Project) in the Elite Eight. Seymour won the 2018 title with their Tornado Recovery efforts.

About the Musco Sports Center

The Musco Sports Center is more than a facility — it’s a game‑changer for Muscatine. For years, winter weather shortened seasons, limited training opportunities, and forced families to travel long distances for indoor space. The Musco Sports Center was built to solve that challenge and elevate local athletics.

At 122,000 square feet, it is Iowa’s largest inflatable sports facility, offering year‑round access to high‑quality athletic and recreational space. Features include:

  • A full‑size turf field for football, soccer, baseball, and softball
  • Dedicated pickleball and court‑based activity areas
  • Flexible open space for tournaments, expos, car shows, quilt shows, and major community events

The center strengthens Muscatine’s sports infrastructure, supports economic growth, and reflects the community’s commitment to youth development and long‑term quality of life. For more information about the Musco Sports Center, visit here.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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