Coeur d'Alene woman crowned Miss Idaho

COEUR d'ALENE — The newly crowned Miss Idaho USA hails from Coeur d’Alene. Kaitlyn Widmyer is the executive producer of Coeur d’Alene Fashion Week and works as a stylist and director of community outreach at Marmalade Fresh Clothing. 

Widmyer has a bachelor’s degree in finance and French, a minor in accounting, and is pursuing a master's degree in creative leadership. 

Her interview question at the Miss Idaho level focused on what she thought about competing with someone who has undergone gender reassignment surgery. She pointed out that inclusivity is woven into the competition and that being 28 years old would have disqualified her just a few years ago. 

Widmyer credits a shift in her priorities after the pandemic in getting her into the world of pageants.  

She said sports and academics were her interest growing up. She competed in volleyball, triple jump and gymnastics. She graduated as co-valedictorian at Lake City High School in 2014. 

The clothing and style elements of pageantry were always in the background during her childhood. 

“I grew up with my mom working in fashion. I was steaming clothes at 8 years old,” Widmyer said.    

As she prepares to represent Idaho on the national stage for Miss USA, she was hesitant to speak in detail about her state costume for the competition but said the outfit ties in both the state of Idaho and the event setting in Hollywood with a “well-known” icon.  

Widmyer said it’s a quick turnaround between the Miss Idaho and Miss USA pageant, which begins Aug. 3 and will be televised on the CW network Aug. 4.   

She highlighted the local Made in Kindness Foundation as part of her platform during the state competition and hopes to continue advocating for the scholarship formed to honor the women killed in Moscow. 

She hopes that her presence in the competition will light the way for other young women to go after their passions. 

“As women, the older we get, the narrower our paths get. It really is up to us to not only open that path for ourselves and anyone who comes behind us,” Widmyer said. 

    Hannah Menzner, Miss Idaho 2023, crowns Kaitlyn Widmyer as the 2024 Miss Idaho winner. Coeur d'Alene native Widmyer will be competing in Hollywood on August 3 and 4 for the title of Miss USA.
  

    Kaitlyn Widmyer, Miss Idaho 2024, Hannah Menzner Miss Idaho 2023 and other past Miss Idaho winners form a chain crowning Widmyer as the pageant winner, including Widmyer's coach and mentor Kerry Damiano. Damiano was Miss Idaho in 1983.