SOLOMONS, Md. — Shelley Burns of Calvert County has secured four front-row seats to every performance in the 2026 Waterside Music Series, courtesy of a raffle organized by the Calvert Marine Museum. The announcement came Nov. 8, 2025, highlighting Burns as the sole winner drawn from entries submitted through the museum’s annual Dream Seat Raffle.
The seats, valued at a season pass for premium placement, grant access to all 4 concerts scheduled from June through August 2026 along the museum’s Patuxent River waterfront stage. This outdoor venue, established in 1999, draws upward of 15,000 attendees annually, blending live music with the museum’s maritime heritage exhibits under open skies. Burns, a local resident who entered via online submission, expressed excitement over the prize, which covers the full summer lineup without additional cost.
Bozick Distributors, the area’s Coors Light representative based in Prince Frederick, purchased the four seats as part of its sponsorship package and returned them for the raffle, a practice it has maintained for more than 10 years. This gesture allows the museum to generate funds while amplifying corporate involvement in community programming. “A huge thank you to Bozick Distributors/Coors Light for over a decade of incredible support — purchasing four seats each year and donating them back for our Dream Seat Raffle,” museum officials stated in the release. Such partnerships underscore the series’ reliance on local businesses to sustain free or low-cost access for families.
The Waterside Music Series traces its roots to the museum’s efforts to diversify visitor experiences beyond its core offerings of fossil digs and boat tours. Launched amid Solomons’ fishing village revival in the late 1990s, the event has evolved into a staple of Southern Maryland’s summer calendar, featuring genres from blues and rock to country and jazz. Past lineups have included regional acts like the Tim Luke Band and national draws such as The Embers, with 2025’s season wrapping in late August amid attendance records boosted by post-pandemic outdoor demand. Tickets for general admission typically range from $20 to $30 per show, but raffle prizes like Burns’ eliminate barriers for dedicated fans.
Proceeds from the Dream Seat Raffle directly benefit the museum’s operations, which encompass a 30,000-square-foot facility housing the state’s official state boat, the Drum Point Lighthouse, and exhibits on Chesapeake Bay ecology. Annual revenue from events like this supports animal care for the museum’s otter and sea turtle residents, preservation of 20,000 artifacts including Native American dugout canoes, and maintenance of the 19th-century lighthouse. In fiscal year 2024, the museum reported $2.1 million in total support, with sponsorships comprising 15 percent, per its public financial disclosures. Calvert County government contributes an additional $150,000 yearly through hotel tax allocations, tying cultural programming to tourism that generated $85 million regionally in 2024.
Entry into the raffle required a minimum $10 donation, processed via the museum’s secure online portal, with drawings conducted publicly on Nov. 7 at the facility’s education center. Eligibility extended to Maryland residents 18 and older, with no purchase necessary beyond the suggested contribution. The process aligns with nonprofit raffle guidelines under Maryland’s Charitable Gaming Division, which mandates transparent winner selection and prize disclosures to ensure fairness. Burns claimed her tickets during a brief ceremony Nov. 8, joining a tradition where past winners have hosted friends or donated seats back for group outings.
The museum’s gratitude extends to its network of partners, including the Calvert County Department of Economic Development and local marinas that provide shuttle services during peak shows. “We’re so grateful to Bozick Distributors and all our local partners who make the Waterside Music Series possible. Their support helps us care for our animals, preserve our collections, and create unforgettable community events,” officials noted. This collaborative model has sustained the series through challenges like Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which damaged the waterfront, prompting a $1.2 million federal recovery grant for resilient infrastructure.
The Dream Seat program exemplifies how nonprofits in the region monetize premium perks while democratizing access. Comparable initiatives at the Maryland Hall for the Arts in Annapolis or the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum raffle VIP packages for galas, channeling funds into scholarships and restorations. For Calvert Marine, the 2026 edition promises to build on this, with Burns positioned for an unobstructed view of performances that often spill into sunset cruises on the river.
