pageant

Several Brigham Young University students competed at the Miss Utah organization's 100th anniversary from June 18-20, 2026.

On August 1, 2024, BYU student Josephina Lealaitafea was crowned Miss Samoa USA after the pageant's 15-year hiatus.

This year, step away from the overcrowded pools and boring barbecues and hit up some of Utah's best festivals and events.

Newly crowned Miss America Betty Cantrell touches her crown at the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Kaiti Purse has the sash. She has the dresses, the blonde hair, the smiles, and yes, even the crown. She stands on floats and waves all the way down the pageant route. She knows how to stand with one foot at 10 o'clock and the other at 1 o'clock so her body looks optimally streamlined. She attends city events, ribbon cuttings, parades, service projects, and does it with a smile that would put Miss Congeniality to shame.