OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- Thousands of people will celebrate Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu at a rally at Oakland City Hall. Since winning big in Italy, Liu has become a global sensation. But it’s the people of Oakland who take her success personally and are planning to show their gratitude in a big way. With preparations underway at the City Hall, the stage is set for a highly anticipated, sold-out homecoming for the Bay Area’s golden figure skater. “She is brilliant, she is joyful, she is unbelievable,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “She has filled us with Oakland pride!” Visit Oakland President and CEO, Peter Gamez, said Oakland’s hometown hero will be honored with a rally Thursday at noon, with an expected crowd of 7,000 cheering her on. “She is so excited about Alysa Liu's success. And what we're excited about is if we're going to throw a party for her and for the city of Oakland that's going to be memorable for everyone,” said Gamez. Olympian Alysa Liu to perform in Bay Area this spring Gold medalist Alysa Liu of the United States celebrates her medal after competing in the women's free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu spotted at Target in East Bay All thanks to the Olympic superstar. “She's putting Oakland on the map globally because she represents what Oakland’s about, the diversity, the grittiness to win. The authenticity is going to be also reflected at this rally because we want something that she will also be satisfied with as well," Gamez continued. If you don’t already have a ticket, you can’t get in. But if you were lucky enough to get a ticket and you are traveling to Oakland, BART Chief Communications Officer Alicia Trost said public transit is your best bet. She expects thousands to ride BART to join in on the celebrations. “You can take the red line, orange line, or yellow line. All of those stop right at 12th Street. You don't even need to transfer. And they run very frequently,” said Trost. “And we're going to have a lot of extra staff at that station just so we can point you in the right direction and help you.” Gamez says Liu is the perfect example of what makes Oakland great. “When we see a champion show up, we show up for that champion!” said Gamez. Gates open at 9 a.m. Thursday, with the rally kicking off at noon. If you didn’t grab a ticket, you can tune in right here on KRON4 for the entire event starting at noon on March 12. Stream the entire celebration live on KRON4+. ...read more read less