'Trained' to promote family fun

Sat, 08/29/2015 - 9:30am

Margaret Hoffman, assistant director of the Boothbay Railway Village. File photo

She knows what family entertainment and vacations all about.

Margaret Hoffman, assistant director of the Boothbay Railway Village, has been involved with planning, providing and promoting family fun for many years, despite her youthful appearance.

A New Jersey native, Hoffman has worked at summer camps, was employed with the Girl Scouts of America, and promoted the state of Maine in a position with the Maine Office of Tourism before settling in the Boothbay Harbor region.

"This is where I met the love of my life and where I would raise my family if we had children," Hoffman said.

For a few years after moving here, she worked at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, "doing a bit of everything."

In July 2013, she was hired by the board of trustees of the nonprofit Railway Village, which is celebrating its 50th year of existence on Route 27 in Boothbay in 2015. She has worked under the tutelage of Director Bob Ryan, who announced his retirement last year after 30 years on the job. While Ryan is in the process of leaving, Hoffman has been busy scheduling events and keeping the train on the tracks, so to speak.

In celebration of the Village's half century of existence, a few special events were added to the Village's busy schedule from Memorial Day though late October. Last year's new event, Rails, Tails and Ales, a craft brew festival with food, live music, antique cars and local craft breweries offering samples of their wares, proved popular. Other new events include honoring several former employees, an art exhibit and a collaboration with Damariscotta's Pumpkinfest event in October.

"We have so much potential here at the Village," said Hoffman, who helped work on the Village's new website this past winter and also promotes the facility through Facebook. "We want the Village to grow even more."

"This region is unique," said Hoffman, who has also lived in Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan. "The people here are friendly, have a sense of locality and are family-centered. There is so much for families to do here in the summer — visit the Maine State Aquarium, play mini golf, take boat trips, hike on one of the many land trust properties, in addition to enjoying the Railway Village, Botanical Gardens and other locales."

The Boothbay Railway Village is located at 586 Wiscasset Road, Route 27 in Boothbay. To learn more, visit .