The 2026 Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee will be held Saturday, March 7, at 10 a.m. at the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus.

The best spellers from public and private elementary and middle schools in Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties convene annually at UMES on the first Saturday of March for a regional competition where the winner qualifies for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Opening in 1973 and later dedicated in 1974, the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts is a 1,167-seat venue that offers the participating spellers a sense of what to expect at the national competition in Washington, D.C.

UMES has sponsored the free event since 2013, except in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The winner receives a keepsake medallion and an all-expense-paid trip to the nation’s capital in late May to compete with top spellers nationally.

Since its inception, the regional spelling bee has provided students in grades three through eight with an opportunity to showcase their spelling and vocabulary skills, with the winner receiving a chance-of-a-lifetime chance to compete on national television for the right to be called the country’s best speller.

Registration for school champions or homeschoolers is open at spellingbee.com, along with resources to prepare for the Bee.

*In the case of inclement weather, updates and information for spellers will be posted on this page.

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