Sherburne, New York — Opening 2027

Where humans
remember
their roots

An eco-retreat on 75 acres of Upstate New York land. Immersive lodging, seasonal workshops, and creative residencies designed to restore what modern life has taken — your relationship with nature, creativity, community, and the forgotten art of play.

75 Acres of protected land
75
Acres, Sherburne NY
4
Seasonal Programs
2027
Opening Year

Our Founding Story

Built from
healing, not
business plans

Brigitte and Alyssa didn't set out to build a retreat. They set out to create the place they had been searching for — a space where holistic care, creative expression, and wild land converge into something that actually changes people.

Brigitte Rizzo
Head of Operations · Functional Medicine

Turned personal loss into a calling — dedicating her work to supporting cancer patients through integrative care.

Alyssa Cabral
Creative Director · Integrative Health Coach

A rare disease diagnosis in her 20s transformed her understanding of wellbeing, creativity, and what it means to truly heal.

"We wanted to create the place we'd been searching for — where nature, creativity, play, and genuine care live together under one sky."

— Brigitte & Alyssa, Co-Founders

What We Offer

An experience rooted
in four things

Nature. Creativity. Community. Play. Every offering at Sanctuary Stay is built around these pillars — and the belief that adults deserve to remember what it feels like to be fully alive.

🌿
Eco-Lodging

Sustainable tiny homes, cabins, and glamping yurts built with regenerative design principles. Solar powered. Zero-waste. Deeply comfortable.

🎨
Workshops & Retreats

Weekend and multi-day immersive experiences: foraging, wildcrafting, painting, pottery, functional medicine, forest bathing, play-based adult sessions, and more.

🏡
Artist Residencies

2–4 week stays for artists, writers, and wellness educators. Land access, studio space, and a community of like-minded creatives.

🌳
Community & Events

Seasonal festivals, community open days, and private event rentals — weddings, corporate retreats, photoshoots — on 75 wild acres.

Seasonal Programming

Life moves in cycles.
So do we.

Every season at Sanctuary Stay brings its own rhythm, its own medicine, its own invitation.

Spring
Awakening
  • Foraging walks
  • Seed planting & permaculture
  • Creative flow workshops
  • Soil-to-table cooking
Summer
Play & Create
  • Outdoor art installations
  • Movement & embodiment
  • Community gatherings
  • Family immersion days
Fall
Harvest & Ground
  • Preservation & wildcrafting
  • Woodworking studio
  • Reflection retreats
  • Seasonal festival
Winter
Stillness & Story
  • Writing residencies
  • Fireside community circles
  • Indoor craft studios
  • Breathwork & rest

Children's Programming

Seedlings
Little roots,
wild hearts

Children learn best when they play in dirt, follow their curiosity, and feel the world beneath their feet. The Seedlings program is our dedicated space for the youngest adventurers — a place where kids connect with nature, creativity, and community in the most joyful, hands-on way possible.

Designed for ages 3–12, Seedlings weaves together seasonal nature education, art-making, storytelling, and outdoor exploration. No screens. No pressure. Just wonder.

Ages 3–12 Year-Round Nature-Led Family Retreats
🌱
Spring
Little Growers

Seed planting, soil exploration, bug study, and first foraging walks. Kids go home with their own seedling to tend.

☀️
Summer
Wild & Free

Outdoor painting, creek play, nature journaling, mud kitchen, and campfire storytelling. Pure childhood magic.

🍂
Fall
Harvest Makers

Apple pressing, leaf art, simple woodworking, and learning where food comes from. Hands always busy, hearts always full.

❄️
Winter
Cozy Creators

Fireside storytelling, weaving, candle-making, and quiet nature observation. A slower, softer season for little ones.

Family Retreat Packages

Bring the whole family. While parents attend wellness workshops or simply rest, kids are fully engaged in guided Seedlings programming. Lodging + family programming available as a complete package.

Join the Waitlist

Founding Member Circle

Be part of building
this together

Founding members help bring Sanctuary Stay to life — and receive lifetime benefits as thanks. We're offering three tiers to join before we open our doors.

Seedling
$500
one-time founding contribution
  • Your name in the Sanctuary forever
  • First access to workshop bookings
  • 15% off all stays & workshops
  • Seasonal newsletter & updates
  • Private founding member community
Canopy
$2,500
one-time founding contribution
  • Everything in Root
  • Three nights lodging (Year 1)
  • Private tour before opening
  • One workshop seat reserved
  • Co-founder acknowledgment
  • Lifetime 30% off stays

All founding contributions support land development and construction. Sanctuary opens 2027.

Artist Work-Trade Program

Come create.
Teach a little.
Stay a while.

Sanctuary Stay believes that artists deserve access to land, nature, and creative sanctuary just as much as anyone. Our work-trade program invites working artists, makers, musicians, and wellness facilitators to stay on the land in exchange for leading a small number of workshops for our guests.

It's a simple, honest exchange — and one we think changes people on both sides of it.

The Exchange
You bring
Your craft & presence
  • 2–3 guest workshops over your stay
  • Your own creative practice on the land
  • Your energy and community spirit
  • An end-of-stay sharing or open studio
We provide
Space & sanctuary
  • 2-week private accommodation on 75 acres
  • All workshop materials covered
  • Meals during your stay
  • Studio space and land access
Ready to apply?

We're building our first cohort of work-trade artists for our 2027 opening season. Share your practice, your workshop idea, and your availability — we'd love to hear from you.

Apply via Waitlist
🎨
Visual Artists & Makers

Painters, printmakers, ceramicists, textile artists, natural dyers — anyone who makes beautiful things with their hands. Lead a workshop that teaches guests your craft in the context of the land around you.

🌿
Nature & Land Practitioners

Foragers, herbalists, permaculture teachers, wildcrafters, and land stewards. Share your knowledge of the natural world in ways that connect guests to the ecology of Upstate New York.

✍️
Writers & Storytellers

Creative writers, poets, journalers, and oral storytellers. Lead workshops that help guests find language for their inner lives — fireside circles, nature writing, personal narrative.

🎵
Movement & Sound Artists

Musicians, sound healers, dancers, somatic practitioners. Bring your practice outdoors. Lead a morning sound bath, an evening movement session, or a drum circle under the stars.

👧
Children's Creative Facilitators

Artists and educators who love working with kids. Facilitate Seedlings programming for our youngest guests — bringing wonder, craft, and nature play to children ages 3–12.

Be first to know
when we open

Join our founding list. Get early access to bookings, founding member packages, and dispatches from the land as we build.

Thank you — we'll be in touch from the forest. 🌿

No spam. Just seasonal notes from the land. Unsubscribe anytime.