Muscatine has a new statewide bragging right. The Musco Sports Center has been named the 2026 People’s All-Star Community Award winner by the Iowa League of Cities after four rounds of public voting.
Muscatine’s 122,000-square-foot sports facility faced Toledo’s Iowa Juvenile Home Campus Transformation project in the final round, ultimately earning the most public votes. The winner was announced Sept. 24 during the Iowa League of Cities Annual Conference & Exhibit Awards Banquet.
“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.”
The annual People’s All-Star Community Award recognizes innovative local government projects across Iowa that aim to improve quality of life, community engagement and regional development. Sixteen projects started the 2026 competition before the field was narrowed through statewide public voting.
The Musco Sports Center is Iowa’s largest inflatable sports facility, providing year-round space for athletic events, training, tournaments and community gatherings. The facility includes a full-size turf field for football, soccer, baseball and softball, dedicated pickleball and court areas, and flexible space for events such as expos, car shows and quilt shows.
The facility was built to address challenges created by Iowa winters, which can shorten sports seasons and limit training opportunities. It also gives local families more opportunities to participate in indoor activities without traveling long distances.
The 2026 award marks the third time Muscatine has been nominated for the People’s All-Star Community Award in the competition’s 12-year history. Muscatine’s Mississippi Drive Corridor Reconstruction Project reached the final two in 2019, while the Deep Lakes Trail Project advanced to the Elite Eight in 2018.
The city says the Musco Sports Center represents a major investment in Muscatine’s recreation, youth development and quality of life — and now has a statewide award to show for it.
