Winter Carnival reveals Prime, Duchess
The Whitefish Winter Carnival officially got underway Saturday with the crowning of the first round of royalty, the Duchess of Lark and Prime Minister, at the Merry Maker event.
Hillary Crowley was crowned Duchess of Lark and Eric Schmidt was named Prime Minister.
Crowley was born in the mountains of Colorado, back when family-owned businesses thrived, and the streets were a merry romp of ski bums, dogs, and local kids. After graduating from high school, she pursued her passion for design at the Rhode Island School of Design. She then followed her big-city dreams to Boston and New York, working in the rapidly evolving world of web development.
Craving a life by the water, Crowley moved south to Naples, Florida, where she soaked up the sun, fell in love with conch fritters, and served as lead design engineer for a public engagement startup.
In 2001, a trip into the perfection of Glacier National Park’s backcountry called Crowley home to the mountains. Over the years, she has had the honor of getting to know the heart of the community, serving alongside incredible volunteers as a Big Mountain Ambassador, an EMT and tracker with Flathead County Search and Rescue, a board member of the Whitefish Theatre Company, advancement chair for Kalispell Boy Scout Troop 1933, and a Whitefish Chamber of Commerce Ambassador.
Together with her husband, Jay, Crowley was honored as the Whitefish chamber's 2024 volunteer of the tear. For the past four years, she has delighted in coordinating The Great Whitefish Gingerbread Contest, a fundraiser benefiting affordable workforce housing.
A firm believer in the magic of the Whitefish Winter Carnival, Crowley’s love for this cherished tradition runs deep. She has treasured her time in various roles, including serving as chair of the gala and disco party and protecting the realm’s citizens as a Viking Diva. For the past two decades, Hillary has applied her design skills to all things Carnival, and in 2016, she was honored as a High Ullr.
With joy and gratitude Crowley is thrilled to serve alongside Prime Minister LXVI Eric Schmidt as this year’s Duchess of Lark to King Ullr LXVI and his Queen of the Snows. She looks forward to celebrating the season with her husband, her son Alex, and the community she adores — because there truly is "snow" place like home
Eric Schmidt is a proud fifth-generation Whitefish Montanan, with his father’s family homesteading in Whitefish and his mother’s family in Columbia Falls, both over 100 years ago. Raised in Whitefish, Schmidt cherishes the traditions of the community, especially the Whitefish Winter Carnival, and is honored to serve as Prime Minister LXVI, following in the footsteps of many remarkable predecessors.
After graduating from Whitefish High School in 2004, Schmidt attended Montana State University in Bozeman, where he focused on finance and accounting, ultimately obtaining degrees in both. After a complication with surgery shortly after college graduation from donating a kidney to his younger cousin, Schmidt decided life was too short to jump into an 8-5. That decision ultimately landed him back in Whitefish where he would continue to serve tables at the Whitefish Lake Golf Club Restaurant in the busy seasons to save up enough money to travel around the world for the next three years in the off seasons.
Once he aged out of being covered by his parent’s health insurance, Schmidt decided it was time to jump into a career. After a short stint as deputy clerk of Flathead County District Court, an opportunity at First Interstate Bank in Whitefish as a personal banker came open. Schmidt received the position and has worked his way up in the bank through various positions, ultimately leading to his current position as the Bank President of First Interstate Bank Whitefish.
His commitment to community service is evident in his active involvement with various nonprofit organizations, including the North Valley Music School board, Logan Health Foundation board, Whitefish Legacy Partners Hootenanny committee, and the Whitefish Winter Carnival board. As chair of the Penguin Plunge for the Carnival and for the Special Olympics of Montana, Schmidt has assisted in raising over $1 million for the cause within the Flathead, with plans to increase that total significantly by jumping with the entire Whitefish Winter Carnival LXVI royalty in 2025.
In 2023, Schmidt was awarded the prestigious High Ullr award during the Whitefish Winter Carnival, a testament to his dedication to the community. February 2024 marked another milestone for Schmidt and his better half with the arrival of the sixth generation Schmidt to Whitefish and feels blessed for the community’s support. Schmidt couldn’t be happier to serve as Prime Minister LXVI alongside Crowley as the Duchess of Lark LXVI and looks forward to continuing one of the longest standing traditions that keeps Whitefish one of the greatest places to live.
The Whitefish Winter Carnival continues through Feb. 8. Up next is the coronation of King Ullr LXVI and Queen of the Snows at the O’Shaughnessy Center at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17, followed by the carnival disco party the same evening. For a full slate of events, visit whitefishwintercarnival.com.
Hillary Crowley is the Whitefish Winter Carnival Duches of Lark. (Photo courtesy of Picture Montana)