The Reading Retreat

Imagine a Friday evening where someone hands you a welcome bag, shows you to a gorgeous room, and tells you that your only job for the next two days is to read.

No itinerary to manage. No meals to plan. No one needing anything from you. Just 25 acres of natural land outside Sherwood Park, a wood-burning fireplace, and as many hours as you want to disappear into a book.

That's what The Reading Retreat is. And I'd love for you to be there.

My name is Colleen. I've spent 35 years working in hospitality and tourism — in four countries, at luxury five-star resorts, casino hotels, and island properties. I've travelled to twenty countries and spent years organizing curated events where every detail matters.

I'm also a trained chef. So when I say all meals are included, I mean I'm the one cooking for you from scratch, with care.

And I'm a reader. The kind who always has multiple books on the go and can't walk past a bookshop. The Reading Retreat exists because I wanted to build something I'd genuinely want to attend. Every decision from the venue to the welcome bag to the surprise weekend activity is made with the same intention: to make this the best weekend you've had in a long time.

Set on 25 acres just outside Sherwood Park, Rising Moon Studio is the kind of place that makes you exhale the moment you arrive. The centrepiece is a stunning solarium-style studio with natural light and a wood-burning fireplace, just one of your reading spaces for the weekend.

Outside, there is a wood-burning sauna, a hot tub, cold plunge tubs, an outdoor fire pit, walking trails, and a yoga and event deck down by the pond. Inside, the retreat home is warm and beautifully curated, the sort of space that feels like a sacred home away from home.

You won't need to leave. That's rather the point.

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Here is everything that is waiting for you — the full picture, nothing withheld:

Meals & drinks

All meals cooked from scratch by Colleen, plus unlimited coffee, tea, and snacks throughout the weekend. BYOB if you'd like to enjoy a drink.

Welcome bag

A notebook, annotation pen, reading stickers, a bookmark to track your books, a sweet treat, and more

The weekend activity

A hands-on chocolate-making class — you'll make your own, then enjoy it all weekend. There will always be something chocolate. That's a promise.

Reading essentials

A lending library if you finish your book or forgot to pack enough, plus dedicated book journaling time to reflect on what you're reading. I have everything you need to create beautiful layouts.

The property

Full access to the saunas, hot tub, cold plunge tubs, yoga studio, fire pit, walking trails, and the pond deck.

Accommodations

Comfortable shared rooms in a beautifully designed retreat home. A pre-retreat survey ensures your needs are known before you arrive.

"I sometimes feel anxious in groups, but the balance between together time and quiet, alone time was perfect. I never felt out of place if I wanted to recharge on my own, and at the same time, I felt completely included. Colleen was so attentive, taking the time to understand everyone's needs and making sure they were met. The whole weekend was wonderful — relaxing, restorative, and truly a treat."

— Guest, Reading Retreat 2025

May 2026

15 — 17

September 2026

11 — 13

$450 CAD per person plus GST, Friday to Sunday. Spots are limited and May is filling.

Coming up: The Bahamas, May 2027. Denmark, 2028. This is just the beginning.

Have a question before you book? Reach out — I'm a real person and I'll write back. There's a reason the people who come to this retreat leave wanting to return.

[email protected]

Event Venue

Rising Moon Studio, 52219 RR231, Sherwood Park, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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