Bethesda families heading into the 2026-2027 school year have a new stop on the calendar: Montgomery County Public Schools will host six regional back-to-school fairs on Saturday, August 22, three days before the first day of school on Tuesday, August 25.
For families at Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Walt Whitman high schools, the fair is at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington from 9 a.m. to noon. Walter Johnson families should head to Wheaton High School from 3 to 6 p.m. Families can confirm their school's assigned region at montgomeryschoolsmd.org.
The regional format is new. MCPS previously held one large, all-day fair at Westfield Wheaton mall. The shift to six locations follows the school board's March 2026 decision to reorganize the district into six regions, dissolving the Downcounty and Northeast Consortiums.
MCPS said in a press release that the fairs will feature zones for registration, technology support, school meal information, supplies and opportunities to meet school staff. Representatives from transportation, special education, multilingual services and mental health offices will also be on hand, along with community organizations and after-school providers. The fairs will also include giveaways and family activities.
Finding your region
Families unsure which fair to attend can look up their school's assigned region on the MCPS website at montgomeryschoolsmd.org. The full list of locations and times:
- Region 1: Albert Einstein High School, 9 a.m.–noon
- Region 2: Paint Branch High School, 9 a.m.–noon
- Region 3: Wheaton High School, 3–6 p.m.
- Region 4: Richard Montgomery High School, 1–4 p.m.
- Region 5: Gaithersburg High School, 9 a.m.–noon
- Region 6: Seneca Valley High School, 3–6 p.m.
The first day of school is Tuesday, August 25, with a non-instructional Student Transition Day on Monday, August 24.
