The 24th annual Stars & Stripes Coed Invitational and the Erie MLK Cup highlight another busy weekend of sports tourism in Erie County.
The 2026 Stars and Stripes Coed Gymnastics Invitational, hosted by Team Lightning Inc. and Team Lightning Productions, runs Friday through Sunday at the Bayfront Convention Center.
“Stars & Stripes has grown to become the largest Coed Invitational in Pennsylvania,” said Doug Pershun, program director for Team Lightning Inc. “This year we are welcoming over 1,500 athletes competing from over 47 quality gymnastics clubs traveling from New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.”
The Invitational features the Main Event on Saturday at 6 p.m., showcasing 110 national-level men’s and women’s Level 9 and 10 gymnasts. Awards for the event will be presented at 10 p.m.
In addition to the main event, competition continues throughout the weekend. Friday’s events begin at 8:40 a.m., with the final groups competing at 6:15 p.m. and awards at 9:35 p.m. Sunday’s competition starts at 8:40 a.m., with the last groups competing at 6:20 p.m. and awards at 9:45 p.m.
Tickets for the event will be available at the door. Adults are $20, children $10. A portion of the event proceeds will benefit first responder initiatives.
For more information on the Stars and Stripes Gymnastics Invitational, click here.
The Erie MLK Cup, hosted by TCS Hockey, features boys’ divisions from 9U through 16U. Games will be held at LECOM Sports Park and Erie Insurance Arena, with competition running Friday through Monday, starting at 7 a.m.
The tournament features 750 participants from 42 teams traveling from Maryland, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
For more information and for the full schedule, click here.
