A new family-friendly festival is asking Windward Oʻahu residents to do something that feels almost radical in 2026: hand over their phones for a few hours. PauseFest debuts on October 24 at YWCA Kokokahi in Kāneʻohe, running from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with organizers expecting at least 100 guests to unplug, slow down, and connect in person.
The inaugural event was created by Gaby Toloza, a mindfulness coach and clinical psychologist, according to Aloha State Daily. Toloza, who was born and raised in Kailua, spent a decade working as an elementary school teacher and helped integrate children with autism into the community before becoming a licensed psychologist, a role she has held in Hawaiʻi and Oklahoma for nearly 20 years, per the same account. She launched her clinical practice, Mindful Connections, in January 2022, and later founded the Mindful Rebels Collective, which organizes community events alongside her clinical work.
“The only moment we actually have is right now, the present,” Toloza said, according to the outlet's report. She added that PauseFest was built to be approachable rather than clinical: “I'm excited about the novelty of it,” she said. Organizers describe the event as a public, preventative space separate from therapy, and stress it is not intended to be deep therapeutic work.
How the Phone-Free Format Works
Attendees will turn in their devices at what organizers call the phone house upon arrival, and pre-event messages will tell registrants what to bring and expect beforehand, per the same account. Around 20 staff and volunteers will be on hand, including wellness facilitators, along with a photographer and photo station so families can still capture the day without screens of their own.
The centerpiece is a collective 60-minute pause built around silence, breath work, and meditation. Beyond that structured segment, the festival is designed to feel lighter and fun, with a Fun Zone, Bubble Buffet, sticker and doodle mural, Mindful Rebel Rest Stop, and Slow Lane, plus a Conversation Cafe and a Take What You Need station, the outlet reports. A marketplace for local food, wellness, and creativity vendors will also run throughout the event, with parking available on site.
Toloza has described mindfulness as involving the embrace of both pleasant and unpleasant feelings rather than avoiding them, framing it as a practical, usable skill to pause, notice, and care for oneself. That framing centers on noticing rather than evaluating or judging, and on paying attention on purpose, according to Aloha State Daily's reporting. Organizers say PauseFest aims to provide a safe and accepting space that teaches patience and conscious rest.
A Historic Backdrop on Kāneʻohe Bay
The setting carries its own weight. YWCA Oahu's history describes the original Kokokahi site as 41 acres and says Camp Halekipa was established on 10 acres of waterfront property, where Atherton Hall was built in 1936 with funding from the Juliette M. Atherton Trust. Historic missionary cottages, or kauhale, remain on the grounds, according to YWCA Oahu. The campus was established in 1927 by Dr. Theodore Richards as a multi-racial community space built on the concept of kokokahi, meaning “of one blood,” with land purchased from Kaneohe Ranch specifically to break down the racial segregation common in that era.
That same bayfront campus already hosts ongoing wellness programming tied to Toloza's work. Mindful Connections collaborates with YWCA Kokokahi on a program called Wellness By the Bay, which offers free weekly guided Wellness Walks around the Kāneʻohe grounds, blending gentle exercise, mindful reflection, and outdoor connection, according to Wellness By the Bay. Toloza also runs other community workshops around Oʻahu, including a Mindful Art self-expression class in Kailua with longtime art instructor Jenny B Hawaiʻi, per an Eventbrite listing for the class.
Why a Phone-Free Pause, Right Now
PauseFest's screen-free premise lands amid a broader statewide push to rein in youth phone use. In February, the Hawaiʻi State Board of Education adopted a statewide policy restricting student cell phone use during school hours, including a complete ban for elementary and middle schoolers starting in the 2026–2027 school year, while high schoolers retain limited device privileges during non-instructional periods, according to the Maui News.
The timing also tracks with mixed signals on youth and adult mental health statewide. Mental Health America's October 2025 State of Mental Health report ranked Hawaiʻi second overall in the nation for mental health, placing first for affordability of care and fifth for youth flourishing, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health reported. State officials cited strong insurance coverage and provider availability as key factors behind that ranking.
Yet the same report found that nearly 30% of Hawaiʻi adolescents did not undergo a preventive health check-up in the prior year, ranking the state 30th nationally in youth preventive visits, with health leaders calling those visits critical for catching early signs of emotional distress.
PauseFest tickets start at $29 per individual and $49 for a family of two adults and children, according to Aloha State Daily. Open vendor applications and sponsorship opportunities are still being accepted, and interested vendors or sponsors are asked to contact [email protected]. For residents who need clinical mental health or crisis support beyond a preventative event like PauseFest, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health operates Hawaiʻi CARES, a free statewide line available 24/7 by dialing 988 or (808) 832-3100, connecting callers to local counselors and community behavioral health services statewide.
