The city of Oakland is throwing a party in celebration of its hometown hero, gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu.<\/p>\n
Liu, a 20-year-old from Oakland (and current UCLA enrollee), returns from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan as the first U.S. woman in 20 years to bring home an individual medal for singles figure skating, and the first in 24 years to take gold. She is also a part of the gold medal-winning U.S. figure skating team.<\/p>\n
The celebration<\/a> will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland. Liu is scheduled to speak, and attendees can pick up food and beverages from the food trucks, nonalcoholic drink vendors and water stations, according to Visit Oakland<\/a>, Oakland\u2019s tourism board.\u00a0Visit Oakland, the City of Oakland, and the office of Mayor Barbara Lee are presenting the event in partnership with Invisalign and PG&E.<\/p>\n The celebration rally is being held in lieu of a parade because Liu instead \u201casked for a celebration that shines a light on Oakland\u2019s vibrant community and talented local artists,\u201d according to Visit Oakland<\/a>.<\/p>\n The event is free, but people who wish to attend must register online at visitoakland.com\/alysa-liu\/#registration<\/a>. Tickets are limited to two per registrant.<\/p>\n Doors open at 9 a.m., and crowds are expected. Public transportation is advised.<\/p>\n Liu\u2019s achievements are also being recognized locally in a mural<\/a> by the Illuminaries, a Bay Area street art group, at the corner of 43rd Street and Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.<\/p>\n Details: The celebration runs noon-1:30 p.m., March 12, outside Oakland City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza. The event is free, but registration is required. Register at visitoakland.com\/alysa-liu\/#registration<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t