Are local tournaments a thing?

I've got a few friends who are into gaming, and they like the idea of LoL (MOBAs in general really), but with all the options out there, it's tough to choose just one game.

I'm wondering if people host local tournaments for LoL. I'm hoping something a little more finite, e.g. "train for a month to play in this local tourney" would be a lot more effective than "you should play this game." Just a question.