The historic Mr. America competition returns to Atlantic City as part of a loaded weekend of bodybuilding and strength sports.
The 2026 Mr. America All-American Sports Festival is set to take over Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Oct. 9-11, bringing bodybuilding and a wide range of strength sports to the Tropicana.
The Mr. America bodybuilding competition remains the centerpiece of the weekend. Amateur, Masters, and professional competitors will take the stage across numerous divisions as athletes look to add their names to the history of one of bodybuilding’s most recognizable titles.
Generation Iron has also spoken with competitors ahead of this year’s event, including Joe LaCerra and reigning Ms. Figure America Riane Hughes, as they prepare to take the stage in Atlantic City.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 Mr. America competition.
2026 Mr. America: Event Information
- Dates: Oct. 9-11, 2026
- Location: Tropicana Atlantic City
- City: Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Bodybuilding Venue: The Showroom Theatre
- Bodybuilding Competition: Saturday, Oct. 10
- Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
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The bodybuilding portion of the event will feature amateur and professional prejudging and finals on Saturday. The official Mr. America schedule lists bodybuilding competition from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The weekend extends well beyond bodybuilding. The All-American Sports Festival is expected to bring more than 1,000 athletes together across over 20 sports and events.
Bodybuilding Takes Center Stage At Mr. America
Mr. America has a long history within the sport, and the bodybuilding contest continues to serve as the flagship competition of the All-American Sports Festival.
According to the event organizers, approximately 200 men and women across amateur, Masters, and professional competition are expected to compete.
The bodybuilding divisions featured as part of Mr. America include:
- Mr. America Bodybuilding
- Mr. Classic Bodybuilding America
- Mr. Physique America
- Ms. America
- Ms. Figure America
- Ms. Wellness America
- Ms. Bikini America
- Ms. Classic Figure
- Junior Mr./Ms. America
Athletes are subject to third-party drug testing through urinalysis, with testing conducted both randomly and on a targeted basis.
While bodybuilding will be a major attraction, fans will also see competitions in strongman, powerlifting, strict curl, kettlebell and arm wrestling during the festival.
Joe LaCerra Ready For Another Mr. America Appearance
Joe LaCerra is no stranger to the Mr. America stage or the organization itself.
The South Jersey native began his athletic career in martial arts, starting Tang Soo Do at just four years old. He spent more than 15 years training and eventually earned the rank of Fourth Degree Master Black Belt.
After stepping away from martial arts competition, LaCerra found a new competitive outlet in bodybuilding. He had already begun lifting weights in high school to improve his strength and add muscle for martial arts, but that interest eventually developed into a passion of its own.
LaCerra entered his first bodybuilding show in 2016 and has remained connected to the sport ever since.
His history with Mr. America goes beyond competing onstage. LaCerra was one of six professional natural bodybuilders featured in The Road to Mr. America, a four-episode series that followed competitors through their preparation and training.
Now, LaCerra will have another opportunity to perform in front of a home-region crowd with the event taking place just a short distance from where he grew up in South Jersey.
Riane Hughes Looks To Defend Ms. Figure America Crown
Riane Hughes enters the weekend with an opportunity to continue an impressive run at Mr. America.
Hughes is the reigning Ms. Figure America after winning the title in 2025. It marked the second time she captured the crown after previously winning Ms. Figure America in 2022.
Her return to the top makes the accomplishment even more significant.
Hughes began bodybuilding in 2018 before earning professional status at her first amateur Figure competition in the OCB in 2019. Over the next three years, she accumulated more than 10 championship titles.
Shortly after winning Ms. Figure America in 2022, Hughes learned that she was pregnant with her daughter, Mila, and stepped away from competition to focus on motherhood.
Her road back began in October 2024 alongside coach Melody Farkas. Hughes ultimately completed the comeback by reclaiming the Ms. Figure America championship in 2025.
She now returns to Atlantic City looking to successfully defend that title.
More Than A Bodybuilding Show
The scope of Mr. America has expanded considerably beyond what takes place on the bodybuilding stage.
The 2026 All-American Sports Festival will bring together athletes from numerous disciplines over three days of competition. In addition to bodybuilding, the festival includes strength competitions and a fitness expo featuring brands from across the training, nutrition, recovery, health, and wellness industries.
Still, the Mr. America bodybuilding crown remains at the heart of the weekend.
With hundreds of physique athletes expected to compete and champions such as Hughes returning to the stage, the 2026 edition will provide another chapter in the long history of the Mr. America competition.
The action gets underway Oct. 9, with the main bodybuilding competition scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Tropicana Atlantic City.
Image embed via Instagram @mr.america_official
