Oakland’s about to have a major moment. The city is throwing a full-on celebration for homegrown Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu at noon today in Frank Ogawa Plaza, and honestly, it’s giving everything. Liu trained at the Oakland Ice Center and grew up in nearby Richmond, so this is truly a hometown hero situation.

If you can’t make it to the plaza in person, don’t worry , multiple outlets are streaming the event live, so you can catch all the action from your phone or laptop. And here’s the tea: Liu herself didn’t know what to expect at her own rally. The city just dropped that the celebration will feature a performance from none other than Oakland’s own Kehlani. Yeah, that Kehlani.

Mayor Barbara Lee was absolutely geeking out about Liu’s accomplishments at a press event before the rally kicked off. “I just want to say, I’m such a fan, girl”, Lee said. “To have the first American woman in 24 years to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating , she did it her way: fearless, focused, and fully herself”. That’s the energy we love to see from our city leadership.

When Liu took the stage herself, she seemed genuinely shook by all the attention she’s been getting across the country. “It’s been crazy how much visibility I have right now”, she said. “I would’ve never expected that, especially from a figure skater. You know, we don’t really blow up like that”. Fair point , figure skating doesn’t always get the mainstream spotlight it deserves, but Liu’s historic win has definitely changed that conversation.

Liu’s gold medal is huge for American figure skating. She’s the first American woman to take home gold in the singles competition since 2002, which means she just broke a 24-year drought. That’s not just impressive , that’s generational talent right there. Growing up in the Bay Area and training locally makes this win feel extra special for the whole region.

If you’re planning to head down to Frank Ogawa Plaza for the celebration, get there early because this is going to draw a crowd. And if you’re stuck at work or can’t make it in person, KTVU and KPIX are both streaming the event live, so you can still be part of the hype. Either way, it’s a perfect reminder that we’re raising some seriously talented athletes right here in our backyard.