Cedar Valley Moonlight Classic

Overview

The Cedar Valley Moonlight Classic is a distinctive nighttime youth soccer tournament held at the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex in Waterloo, Iowa. The 2026 edition runs June 6–7. The tournament is formatted for competitive travel teams with players ages 11U–19U and draws clubs from Iowa and a handful of neighboring states. Its signature feature — games played under lights around midnight — is believed to be unique among Iowa youth soccer tournaments, giving the event a strong identity and repeat-attendance appeal.

Ownership & Operations

Hosted by Cedar Valley Soccer Club (CVSC), the primary competitive youth soccer organization serving the Cedar Falls / Waterloo metropolitan area in northeast Iowa. The club operates the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex, which provides the lighted field infrastructure that makes the midnight-game format possible. Registration is managed through HTG Sports and Blue Sombrero platforms.

Economics

Entry fees typical of Iowa regional events ($400–$650 per team). The overnight format creates a modest but real hospitality footprint for the Waterloo / Cedar Falls area, with teams from out of market requiring accommodation. Cedar Falls Tourism actively promotes the event as a civic attraction.

Sanctioning

US Club Soccer sanctioned per the US Club Soccer sanctioned tournament list (2026).

Reputation & Tier

Regional Tier 4. The Moonlight Classic occupies a distinctive niche in the Iowa tournament calendar — the nighttime format differentiates it from commodity spring weekend events and helps CVSC punch above its market-size weight in tournament marketing. Well-established local event with consistent annual cadence.

Notes

The Cedar Falls / Waterloo market is a secondary Iowa soccer hub; the Moonlight Classic is CVSC’s flagship public event and a notable local tourism draw. The unique format has earned it coverage in local media and on the Cedar Falls Tourism promotional calendar.