Tourist Club – Oakland Branch

I live within hearing distance of the club and enjoy the many events on weekends that have music; a mix of private and club events.
During club festivals there is dancing and sing-​a-​longs to German folk music.
Several years ago one of the songs included a Sieg Heil. I was so taken aback that I drove over to confirm what I thought I had heard. To my astonishment the reply was «Yes, I had heard correctly.‘
In America, and I imagine to a large extent worldwide, Sieg Heil is associated with WWII & Hitler’s Nazis. To be fair, German speaking people have pointed out to me that the German-​English translation means «hail victory».
Nevertheless, German is not our native language and the uttering of Sieg Hiel is highly offensive. it is disrespectful to all who served in WWII, those who lost their lives & their families defeating Hitler’s Nazis.

This is the best kept secret if you love German food, German Beer, German music.
I attend every year and it keeps getting better. It was very well attended this year with all age groups represented from little kids dressed in their cute German outfits all way to grandma and grandpa in their traditional German outfits and every age in between. Great event to put on your calendar for next year;))

It’s wonderful here! May 4^th Maifest… I led 5 ½ mile hike through Joaquin Miller so I could have the big payout of a beer festival. And it did not disappoint. What a beautiful property, lovely people working the festival, and the attendees were all so nice and joyous. Many conversations with many «new friends» as we all exclaimed our joy at being there. I had the Oktoberfest on tap — there was another beer on tap and a few bottled brands. The food was very hearty — not surprisingly, as the fare is German. The reason I can’t give it a 5^th star comes down to the potato salad, believe it or not. I don’t eat beef/​pork/​poultry and so I thought — awesome — I’ll get the potato salad. And it was good, too — until I tasted the bacon bits in it. Sigh. Hubby just added it to his plate… he enjoyed some big ol’ meaty plate… and I got to have some bites of his red cabbage which was delicious (probably cooked in beef broth LOL but things like that don’t freak me out). I could have had spatzle but I just decided to focus on my beer and then on my next beer… well you get the picture.
The setting was gorgeous — no seats available around the actual deck where the band was playing and the dancing was occurring, but that’s okay — we found Adirondack chairs to lounge in and were next to the beer line so it was all good. We could hear and enjoy the music perfectly well. Even the ladies’ bathroom line moved very quickly — I know this because I visited it 3 – 4 times.
I will make their future festivals a must-​do every time… and I highly recommend a hike beforehand to get there, as it feels so rewarding to top your hard work off with great beer and a great time!

I’ve never been, but just wanted to put some info out there. I’ve been to the Tourist Club in Marin, near Muir Woods, and there you can just hike to it, get a pitcher, get a board game, and enjoy the view on any given day. I called this one, assuming it was the same sort of thing, but they told me they’re only open on festival days. So, apples and oranges. But good to know! I’ll for sure be there for the next festival!

I came for the May 6^th Maifest at the Naturfreunde. The people were very friendly and made sure I was parked appropriately. I staked out a table and waited a few minutes for friends to arrive.
As the day went on the lines got longer and longer, but people, working or not were always very polite. I went through the food line twice, first for food. The food was close to what I have eaten in Munich, but not quite as good. However, it was a lot closer than anywhere else I’ve seen. The second time I went through for dessert which was good but I would skip it next time or at least get something different.
I also went to the beer line a few times and got Spaten, a good beer.
At about 2:30 they band started practicing for the dancing at 3:00 which was cool. I stayed a bit after 3:00 to watch the dancing and hang out with friends.
The whole place is like a little part of Germany. It is very similar to going to Munich on a smaller scale. The people try hard to make sure things are well run.

This place is a lot of fun! Been attending the past few Oktoberfest’s, such a neat place. Like others said you feel like this should be our «secret» place but its so hard not to share. Beer is good (though nothing too fancy in the German beer world, but it does the job), food is good, entertainment is lively and fun. And yeah, I do feel a little young coming here, but who cares.
They do other events besides Oktoberfest, so check them out. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon here. Drinking beer, in the sun, wearing my lederhosen.

The dance patio deserves a page in Christopher Alexander’s Timeless Way of Building, illustrating «the quality without a name.» The several afternoons I have spent here through the years, watching young children dance to traditional music with their grandparents, will stay in my mind forever.

There is positively no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than this.
Sunshine, with options for shade.
Outdoor beer drinking.
A complete and utter lack of a scene.
Senior citizens in Bavarian costume.
Sausages and sauerkraut.
An oompa band that compels one to sway. And/​or bob in time to the oomps.
People named Hans.

This is about as awesome as it gets in the oakland hills… AND the hills around Mount Tam! Honestly, I will attend every event here and enjoy the fantastic gemeutlichkeit and resulting sternhagelblau-​tanzvergnuegen!!!
viel spass! you should come out and enjoy too!!!

Bust out your lederhosen and beer stein, we’re going Bavarian! And what better place to do it than high on a hill like a lonely goatherd (lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo) in the middle of the thicket?
Just a few twists and turns from Joaquin Miller Park stands an old Alpine-​style lodge, the clubhouse for the East Bay branch of Nature’s Friends. This organization which began in Austria during the boom of the first tourist era, aims to spread appreciation for nature in a responsible, sustainable fashion. This resulted in securing prime real estate in the most beautiful of mountainous surroundings all around the globe.
What this really means is that several times a year on Bavarian holidays, we’re able to get hammered on fine German beer in the presence of grandmas and kids all while listening to a traditional band and watching the whirling skirts and bouncing bodices of dancers, with jaw-​dropping views of the Bay!
If you get hungry, spaztel, strudel and sauerkraut are in great supply, served up by smiling frosted haired ladies in the rustic basement of the lodge. Or snag a bratwurst outside fresh off the grill. (They just need to work on the non-​biodegradable plates and utensils.) Wash ‘em down with a crisp lager, or the Optimator (my personal favorite of the Spaten beers) on the broad patio and cap the afternoon off with a hike.
The perfect marriage of culture and nature, indeed!

Outdoor festivals at Nature Friends Tourist Club (Oakland Branch) are one of a kind and not to be missed! There is nothing like drinking a great German beer in the sun (or in the shade) and watching people dance to live traditional Bavarian music. The supersized outdoor dance deck overlooks the local scenery and one can catch views of the Bay on a clear day. The food is very authentic and freshly made on premises. Bands that perform at this club are among the best of their kind in the Bay Area; they include Joe Smiell’s Bavarian Band, The Internationals and The Bajuk Trio. When the band goes on break, Nature Friends Schuhplattler Dance Group performs a variety of German folk dances. (The dance group also performs at «Oktoberfest by the Bay» in San Francisco.) Admission is only $ 10 for a full day of fun while children under 14 get in free. Food, beer, wine and non-​alcoholic beverages are priced very reasonably. Club members are friendly and welcoming and club membership is open to all. This club is far more spacious than its sister club on Mt. Tam in Muir Woods. Redwood Regional Park and Joaquin Miller Park are only a half mile away and they offer some of the favorite local hiking trails.

I went there for the Herbsfest and had a good time. Good beer, great sausages, and good music. I bought my own beer stein so everyone was friendly to me. I think the average age was about 55 so I felt young being there. I’d go again but I would wait about six months so not to ruin it.