Costco's Best Fourth Of July Party Hosting Essentials For Easy Entertaining

When your guest list is longer than the Declaration of Independence, planning a Fourth of July party can start to feel stressful. Gathering in the backyard for a cookout may prevent you from that bizarre pre-company urge to deep clean your baseboards, but it does create a whole new set of problems. How much excitement can you whip up without resulting in a firework-related injury? Who will comfort the dogs while said fireworks are exploding in the backyard? Will the kids not-so-helpfully use their squirt guns when your mother-in-law starts complaining of heat stroke? While Costco may not have solutions to all of these mishaps, you'll still find plenty of practical options to make your party more fun for your guests and easier for you. From spacious coolers to sun-blocking shades, the retailer sells five party hosting essentials for easy entertaining that are worth checking out.

It goes without saying that hitting up your local Costco is often a smart move when it comes to stocking up on party food and drinks. According to a Consumer Reports comparison of the national average, the membership club's pricing is 21.4% cheaper than Walmart. In fact, its pricing is lower than every other retailer in the report! When you're hosting on a budget, those savings can seriously help with the stress. You'll find deals on big purchases like Costco's July outdoor furniture finds, but they also extend to party must-haves like paper goods, spacious pop-up tables, and functional outdoor decor that doesn't take much time to set up and enjoy. To find Costco's best Fourth of July essentials, we went straight to the reviews. Everything on our list had at least 100 five-star ratings from customers who specifically reported using these products to punch up their parties.

It's easy to find a huge variety of beverages at Costco to keep your party guests happy and hydrated, but keeping drinks cold until the last firework sparkles in the sky is a little trickier. According to dozens of members, the Permasteel 120-Quart Galvanized Steel Rolling Cooler is a perfect solution. The spacious design holds up to 185 cans but is also deep enough to accommodate several bottles of wine or 2-liter bottles of soda inside its insulated bin. Along with a flip-top lid that's fully removable once your party gets into full swing, the cooler has removable dividers that allow for several different configurations inside. Although it's cheap and easy enough to turn ordinary planters into a refreshing patio cooler table to give you extra storage and surface space, it's way quicker to use the included dividers as serving trays for your Fourth of July party foods that need to be kept on ice.

The cooler has other clever features too, like a built-in bottle opener, lockable rolling casters that allow you to easily move it as needed, and a drain plug to empty the melted ice once the party's over. The $260 hosting essential also comes with a heavy-duty cover to keep it protected from the elements when not in use. One buyer reported that you won't regret the purchase, writing, "This is my second purchase of this cooler. It's a great buy." Others agreed that it's perfect for hosting. "Nice cooler for parties and gatherings. Assembly was easy," said another satisfied customer.

While some people hope those Fourth of July fireworks displays never end, others find them noisy, stressful, and even traumatic. Lighting a few sparklers is a great middle ground, but if you want to add a punch of color to the night sky, Costco has another great option. The Enbrighten Vibe Wi-Fi Color Changing Vintage String Lights are available in 24- or 48-foot lengths for $90 or $150, respectively. Each strand is fitted with durable Edison-style LED bulbs designed to hold up in all kinds of weather. Whether you're a fan of elaborate drone shows or just want to show your patriotic side by covering your porch or patio in red, white, and blue, you'll appreciate that each light can be individually color controlled with adjustable settings through an app that connects with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Dozens of Costco customers have given the Enbrighten string lights a five-star rating, describing them as beautiful and high-quality. While a few users mentioned that the heavy weight means you'll need to hang them from something sturdy or reinforce each strand with wire, the vast majority reported both easy installation and setup. "These lights are awesome!! There are so many color options and a dusk to dawn option which I love. The bulbs look like glass but they're acrylic. They're also very bright which is exactly what I was looking for. A little pricey but you get what you pay for. I highly recommend these lights," raved one thrilled customer, echoing the feedback of many others.

String lights are great if you have a porch, patio, or deck where guests will congregate at night, but what can you do when the sun is blazing down on them right as your party gets into full swing? Over 1,500 Costco happy customers suggest a Coolaroo Rectangle Shade Sail could be the fix you need. Available in light gray, brown, blue, or gray, the simple $43 find is perfect for stressed-out hosts who want a more permanent solution and high-end look than a cheap pop-up canopy can provide. The sail is lightweight, portable, and requires no tools to install, thanks to pre-attached ropes that eliminate the need for wrestling stakes into the ground. Whether you're worried that direct sunlight will quickly destroy your famous Fourth of July potato salad or you know grandma will have more fun if she isn't broiling to a crisp, it's a quick and inexpensive way to create a covered patio area in your backyard.

Although a few dozen customers reported shipping issues and disappointment in the thin material that only blocks about 85% of UV light, hundreds of others were thrilled with their purchase. "Light, durable, cuts heat and bright sun very effectively while providing the perfect amount of dappled shade," wrote one happy user. "I recommend this product to everyone seeking a practical and inexpensive solution for the heat! Installation was simple. I installed them by myself," said another. Others enjoy the shade's versatility, attractive appearance, and ability to stand up to harsh weather year after year.

It doesn't matter if you're the King of the Grill if you don't have anywhere to set your food once it's ready. Folding tables are one of the hosting essentials that can make or break a party. The Lifetime Commercial 6-Foot Fold-in-Half Tables from Costco are an ideal solution if you entertain frequently. Available in almond or black two-packs for $135, the tables are designed to be compact and portable when it's time to drag them out or put them up, yet they're sturdy and durable while in use. The frame and legs are constructed of powder-coated steel with simple locking mechanisms at the joints that support up to 2,000 pounds of evenly distributed items. The 6-foot length seats up to eight people comfortably, but they work equally well buffet style, especially if you cover them with Costco's red or white Rectangular Table Cloths.

Over 1,000 members have given the folding tables a five-star rating, praising their durability, ease-of-use, and value for the money. And for gatherings, reviewers say they're hard to beat. "Lifetime tables are a 'no-brainer' solution to big family parties," wrote one satisfied customer. "These are great tables. Very sturdy, easy to set up, easy to take down. ... We used these for a party recently and they held all the food, plates, decorations ... wonderful addition!," said another. Only two people shared disappointing experiences with their tables, mainly because they didn't arrive in time for their events.

Hosting a Fourth of July party is exhausting enough without waving goodbye to your last guests only to be greeted by a sink full of dishes. There's simply no hosting essential for easy entertaining quite like the humble paper plate. A more environmentally friendly alternative than the many plastic versions sold at Costco, the Dixie Ultra 10 1/16-Inch Paper Plates are sold in a 186-count package for $24. Unlike some of the flimsy ones you can find out there, Dixie says its heavy-duty paper plates are designed to keep messy foods from soaking through. They're also microwave-safe and recyclable in areas where food residue on paper isn't prohibited. Although Costco carries the brand's other plate sizes too, opting for the largest size will allow your party guests to pile up on generous portions of all their favorites.

Over 4,000 Costco customers have given Dixie's paper plates a five-star rating, with nearly half of them reporting that there's no better choice for backyard parties and other gatherings. One reviewer summed it up perfectly (and hilariously) by writing, "If you're anything like me, you've lived in fear of flimsy paper plates, the kind that fold into sad little hats for your potato salad, drip barbecue juice onto your lap, or launch desserts into oblivion mid-fork-lift. ... Go big. Go Dixie. And let's not forget quantity ... 186 plates! That's enough to feed a small army, host three holiday parties, and still have leftovers for an impromptu picnic on Mars."