A Cumming barbecue competition is in the running for a regional honor.Randall Bowman, organizer of the National BBQ Cup: Cue’n in Cumming, said the event was recently nominated by the Southeast Festivals & Events Association for its Kaleidoscope award for best new event. According to the organization’s Web site, the Kaleidoscope awards recognize “the highest level of achievement in the festival and event industry throughout the southeast region.” Bowman said he was especially pleased when he learned of the nomination for the barbecue event, which was held for the second time the weekend before Thanksgiving at the Cumming Fairgrounds.“This is … the largest association for tourism groups, festivals and events here in the Southeast,” he said. “It’s part of the International Association of Fairs and Events groups.”The National Barbecue Cup this year drew some 18,000 visitors, and nearly 150 professional and amateur barbecue teams from across the country. Bowman said he will learn if the event secured the honor during the association’s awards banquet at Auburn University. “We’ll know in February,” he said. “But we’ve been called by a couple of the board members of the association, so it actually looks pretty promising.”He said the nomination is a reflection of the success he hopes the National BBQ Cup can sustain.“I’m extremely excited [about the nomination],” he said. “That’s exactly where we’ve always hoped we’d be at this point in time.“Hopefully, we can continue to grow and make it even better each year.”