'The wait is over': Oakland announces date for Alysa Liu celebration
Alysa Liu, of Oakland, takes the gold medal in women's figure skating at the Olympics.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Declaring, "the wait is over," the city of Oakland on Thursday announced its plans for a celebration to honor Olympic gold medal figure skater and one of its own, Alysa Liu.
A "Welcome Home" celebration and rally will be held on Thursday, March 12, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza at Oakland City Hall.
The free event will come after a pre-rally and press conference in the city council chambers, Mayor Barbara Lee's office said.
Hometown hero
Big picture view:
With her gold medal win on February 19 in the Women's Free Skating event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and with many following her inspiring journey, Liu has become a hometown hero.
A woman takes a photo of an Alysa Liu mural in Oakland's Temescal district. Feb. 28, 2026
A large, vibrant 15-foot-high mural was one demonstration of the city's love for the Olympian, who on the world stage gave her city a shout-out after her stunning performance on the ice.
The mural with the words "Shoutout Oakland" depicts a brightly colored image of the ice skater, gold medal in hand, looking tough and triumphant.
Artist Steve Ha, co-founder of a local graffiti artist group Illuminaries, put up the mural at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal neighborhood last week.
The backstory:
Liu became the first American woman to win a gold medal in figure skating since 2002.
The 20-year-old Liu was born in Richmond and raised in Oakland. She learned to skate and trained at the Oakland Ice Center.
Gold-medal Olympian Alysa Liu with a young skater at Oakland Ice Center.
She was also a student of the Oakland School for the Arts, which praised and celebrated the figure skater, calling her a "true artist."
"Alysa embodies the essential qualities of a true artist — discipline, creativity, resilience, and expressive storytelling — bringing artistry and athletic excellence together each time she takes the ice. We are thrilled to count Alysa among the many talented students who have studied and trained at OSA and who continue to make their mark on the world," OSA shared in a statement to KTVU.
Since her win, the community has been awaiting details on how the city planned to celebrate its gold medalist.
SEE ALSO: Oakland's own Alysa Liu captures Olympic gold for Women's figure skating
"Alysa Liu is Oakland - her drive, her brilliance, her joy. Watching her claim gold for our city and our country filled every Oaklander with pride, and we are overjoyed to welcome her home," Mayor Lee said in a statement, adding, "This rally is a celebration not just of an extraordinary champion, but of everything our community represents: grit, excellence, and the belief that Oakland always punches above its weight. Come out and celebrate one of our own."
Alysa Liu mural in Oakland for The Town
There's a really cool mural of Alysa Liu in Oakland. The artist said he did it for "The Town."