Classes begin June 21 — for barbecuing, that is.

The “Cooking for Competition Beginner’s Class” will be taught by Ron Meyer, owner of Piggy Blues BBQ. People can learn the techniques of cooking on a grill, smoker or pellet grill while using different sauces and rubs. The class uses hands-on teaching using your own equipment and involves all four meat categories. Bring an appetite if you sign up.

The cost is $150 per person. Proceeds benefit the Big Island Rendezvous Education Days, the days when schoolchildren visit the historical reenactment camp at Bancroft Bay Park in Albert Lea in early October. To register for the cooking class, call (800) 658-2526 or (507) 373-3938 and ask for Perry Vining.

The next day, June 22, the Backyard BBQ Contest takes place. People who were in the class will get to practice what they learned. There will prizes for the best cooks.