Celebrating Culture, Connection & Opportunity: The HBCU Yard Takeover at JSU

When Disney On the Yard and AT&T teamed up for their HBCU Yard Takeover at Jackson State University in September 2025, it wasn’t just an event. It was a movement! Aclipse Events was honored to be part of bringing the vision to life, handling everything from planning to execution to make sure every moment shined.

The Purpose: Beyond the Festivities

Disney On the Yard is an initiative built to uplift Historically Black Colleges and Universities, creating pathways for students and alumni through professional development, mentorship, and inclusive hiring practices. With the Yard Takeover series, Disney brings that mission to life on campus by merging culture, connection, and opportunity into one celebration.

At JSU, the event wasn’t just about entertainment. The programming included:

• A career exploration session powered by Disney and AT&T, helping students explore professional paths and network with industry leaders
• Live celebrations at Gibbs-Green Plaza featuring music, food trucks, giveaways, and a standout appearance by Drum Major Mickey Mouse
• Messaging around sustainability, student pipelines, alumni engagement, and institutional partnerships
  

What Aclipse Did: From Vision to Reality

To deliver an event of this caliber, Aclipse stepped in across multiple roles:

1. Strategic Planning & Logistics
We started early, coordinating timelines, site layouts, vendor contracts, permitting, and compliance to ensure the activation would run without hiccups.

2. On-Site Execution & Operations
Our team managed load-in and load-out, freight, staffing (brand ambassadors, crowd management), show services (power, rigging, technical support), and the full flow of event day operations.

3. Production & Experiential Crafting
We installed signage, tables, chairs, custom décor, and created branded environments that supported the energy of the weekend. One standout was our video booth, which offered students a platform to share their Jackson State HBCU stories in their own words.

4. Audience Engagement & Guest Experience
We orchestrated entertainment, crowd pacing, giveaways, and interactive touches to keep momentum alive. Our goal was always the same: let attendees feel the pride, excitement, and community behind the experience.

How the Event Went: Full of Energy, Purpose & Connection

From the moment the gates opened, the atmosphere was electric. Students and alumni flowed into Gibbs-Green Plaza to enjoy food trucks, music, giveaways, and cultural celebration. Drum Major Mickey Mouse’s appearance brought cheers and energy to the crowd. The video booth became a highlight, giving voices to the student experience and creating a meaningful takeaway.

During the career exploration session, attendees engaged directly with Disney and AT&T representatives asking questions, exploring opportunities, and building networks. It was a standout moment for connection and forward-thinking.



The event’s impact wasn’t just in the festivities, it delivered relevance. The conversations of pipeline development, institutional growth, alumni relations, and student success were front and center, reminding everyone that culture and opportunity go hand in hand.

Why It Matters & What This Means for Future Events

Cultural significance: Events like this reinforce HBCU pride and visibility, bringing attention to the institutions and their importance in broader conversations.

Talent pipelines: By combining celebration with career focus, this event helped blur the lines between campus culture and professional growth.

Brand experiences done right: A well-executed, meaningful event can elevate brand perception, build trust, and create lasting memories.

For Aclipse, this event reinforced what we do best, which is creating immersive event experiences grounded in logistics, design, and passion. The JSU Yard Takeover wasn’t just another event in our portfolio. It was a statement: when we fuse purpose and production, people remember.