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 seem stressful. Gathering in the backyard for a cookout may prevent you from the odd pre-company request to deep clean your baseboards, but it creates a whole new set of problems. How much excitement can you do without resulting in a fireworks-related injury? Who will comfort the dogs while the fireworks are going off in the backyard? Won’t the kids use their squirt guns to be very helpful when your mother-in-law starts complaining of heat stroke? While Costco may not have solutions to all of these mishaps, you’ll find plenty of practical options to make your party more fun for your guests and easier on you. From roomy coolers to sun-blocking shades, the retailer sells five party hosting essentials for easy entertaining that are worth checking out.

Hitting your local Costco is often a smart move when it comes to stocking up on party food and drinks. Accordingly Customer reports Compared to the national average, membership club prices are 21.4% cheaper than Walmart. In fact, it costs less than every other retailer in the report! When you’re hosting on a budget, those savings can seriously help with stress. You will get deals on big purchases like Costco’s July Outdoor Furniture FindsBut they also extend to party essentials like paper goods, giant pop-up tables, and functional outdoor decor that don’t take long 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 wide variety of drinks at Costco to keep your party guests happy and hydrated, but it’s a little harder to keep drinks cold until the last fireworks light up the sky. According to dozens of members, the Permasteel 120-quart galvanized steel rolling cooler There is a perfect solution. The spacious design holds up to 185 cans but is deep enough to fit several bottles of wine or a 2-liter bottle of soda inside its insulated compartment. Along with a flip-top lid that’s completely removable once your party gets going, the cooler has removable dividers that allow for different configurations inside. However it is cheap and easy enough Turn an ordinary planter into a refreshing patio cooler table To give you extra storage and surface space, it’s even faster to use the included dividers as serving trays for your Fourth of July party foods that need to be kept on ice.

The cooler also has other clever features, such as a built-in bottle opener, lockable rolling casters that allow you to easily move it as needed, and a drain plug for emptying the melted ice after the party is over. The $260 hosting essential also comes with a heavy-duty cover to protect it 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 was worth hosting. “Great 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 shocking. 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. This Brighten up the Vibe Wi-Fi color changing vintage string lights Available in 24- or 48-foot lengths for $90 or $150, respectively. Each strand is fitted with a durable Edison-style LED bulb designed to last in all weather conditions. Whether you’re a fan of elaborate drone shows or just want to show off your patriotic side by covering your porch or patio in red, white and blue, you’ll appreciate that each light can be individually controlled with adjustable settings via an app that connects to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Dozens of Costco customers have given Enbrighten string lights five-star ratings, describing them as beautiful and high-quality. While some users mentioned that the heavy weight meant you’d need to hang them from something sturdy or reinforce each strand with wire, most reported both easy installation and setup. “These lights are amazing!! There are so many color options and a dusk to dawn option which I love. The bulbs look like glass but are acrylic. They are 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,” echoed one thrilled customer, echoing the feedback of many others.

String lights are great if you have a porch, patio or deck where guests gather at night, but what can you do when the sun is shining on them when your party is in full swing? Over 1,500 Costco happy customers indicate that Coolaroo rectangular shade sail May be the fix you need. Available in light gray, brown, blue or gray, the simple $43 invention is perfect for stressed-out hosts who want a more permanent solution and a higher-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 in the ground. Whether you’re worried that direct sunlight will quickly ruin your famous Fourth of July potato salad, or you know grandma would have more fun if she didn’t boil it down, here’s a quick and inexpensive way. Create a covered patio area In your backyard.

Although several dozen customers reported disappointment with shipping problems and the thin material that blocks only 85% of UV light, hundreds of others were thrilled with their purchase. “Light, durable, cuts the heat and bright sun very effectively while providing the perfect amount of shade,” wrote one happy user. “I recommend this product to anyone looking for a practical and affordable solution to heat! Installation was easy. I installed it myself,” said another. Others enjoy the versatility of shade, attractive appearance, and ability to withstand harsh weather year after year.

If you’re the king of the grill, it doesn’t matter if you have nowhere to set your food after it’s ready. A folding table is one of those hosting essentials that can make or break a party. This Lifetime Commercial 6-Foot Fold-In-Half Tables If you entertain frequently then Costco is an ideal solution. Available in a two-pack in almond or black for $135, the tables are designed to be compact and portable when it’s time to pull them out or put them down, yet they’re strong and durable during use. The frame and legs are made of powder-coated steel with simple locking mechanisms at the joints that support up to 2,000 pounds of evenly distributed objects. The 6-foot-long seats comfortably seat up to eight people, but they work equally well buffet-style, especially if you cover them with Costco’s red or white paint. Rectangular Table Cloths.

More than 1,000 members have given the folding table a five-star rating, praising its durability, ease of use and value for money. And for gatherings, reviewers say they’re hard to beat. “Lifetime tables are a ‘no-brainer’ solution for large 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 it held all the food, plates, decorations… amazing addition!” said another. Only two people shared disappointing experiences with their table, mainly because they did not arrive on time for their events.

Planning a Fourth of July party is boring enough to greet your last guests only to be greeted by a sink full of dishes without saying goodbye. No hosting required for entertainment as simple as the humble paper plate. A more environmentally friendly option than many of the plastic versions sold at Costco Dixie Ultra 10 1/16-inch paper plates Sold in 186-count packages for $24. Unlike some of the flimsy items you can find out there, Dixie says its heavy-duty paper plates are designed to prevent messy food from soaking. They are also microwave-safe and recyclable in areas where food scraps on paper are not prohibited. Although Costco also carries the brand’s other plate sizes, choosing the largest size will allow your party guests to pile on generous portions of all their favorites.

More than 4,000 Costco customers have given Dixie’s paper plates a five-star rating, with nearly half reporting that there is no better choice for backyard parties and other gatherings. One reviewer summed it up perfectly (and hilariously) by writing, “If you’re like me, you’ve lived in fear of the flimsy paper plate that folds into sad little caps for your potato salad, drips barbecue juices onto your lap, or launches desserts into oblivion… The quantity… 186 plates is enough to feed a small army, host three holiday parties and All that’s left for an impromptu picnic on Mars.”