ERIE, Pa.—Two major youth sports tournaments are returning to Erie this weekend, bringing hundreds of athletes and their families to the region as part of a busy stretch for sports tourism in Erie County.
The 24th annual Stars & Stripes Coed Gymnastics Invitational runs Friday through Sunday at the Bayfront Convention Center. The event, hosted by Team Lightning Inc. and Team Lightning Productions, has grown into one of the largest gymnastics competitions of its kind in the state.
“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,” says Doug Pershun, program director for Team Lightning Inc.
The invitational’s main event is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. and will feature 110 national-level men’s and women’s Level 9 and Level 10 gymnasts. Awards for the main event will be presented at 10 p.m.
Competition begins Friday at 8:40 a.m., with final groups competing at 6:15 p.m. and awards presented at 9:35 p.m. Sunday’s events also begin at 8:40 a.m., with the final groups competing at 6:20 p.m. and awards scheduled for 9:45 p.m.
Tickets will be sold at the door, with admission priced at $20 for adults and $10 for children. Organizers said a portion of the proceeds will benefit first responder initiatives.
Also returning to Erie this weekend is the Erie MLK Cup, a youth hockey tournament hosted by TCS Hockey. The tournament features boys’ divisions ranging from 9U through 16U and runs Friday through Monday.
Games will be played at LECOM Sports Park and Erie Insurance Arena, with competition beginning at 7 a.m. each day. The tournament includes approximately 750 participants from 42 teams traveling from Maryland, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
For more information, tcshockey.com/events/erie-mlk-cup-2026.
