As the 66th annual Whitefish Winter Carnival gets underway, a new royal couple has been crowned King Ullr and Queen of the Snows.
Longtime Flathead Valley couple Ross and Coleen “Coco” Pickert, who have dedicated countless hours to local nonprofits and community programs over the years, were coronated Friday night at the O’Shaughnessy Center.
Coco is a fourth-generation Montanan who has called Whitefish home for over 30 years. A self-proclaimed ski bum in her early days, Coco balanced her adventurous spirit with stints as a flight attendant and restaurant server before settling into her most cherished role: “Mama Coco.” Together with her husband, Ross, the couple raised three children – Gabby, Reid, and Cole – with an open door to welcome anyone and everyone, all while building a life deeply rooted in the Whitefish community.
Passionate about giving back, Coco has worked with several local organizations, including Whitefish Safe Grad, Alpine Theater Project and Glacier Hockey Association. A highlight was serving as room mom in her children’s classrooms through their elementary years.
Born and raised on a small ranch near the railroad town of Emporia, Kansas, Ross has always felt the pull of the great outdoors. His family frequently embarked on snow skiing trips to Colorado and Wyoming, as well as water skiing adventures in Kansas and Missouri. After graduating from high school, Ross attended the University of Kansas before returning to Emporia to join his father’s real estate business.
In the fall of 1991, a fly-fishing trip brought Ross to Whitefish, where he was captivated by its charming small-town atmosphere and breathtaking mountains, lakes and rivers. By May 1992, he had taken a local real estate job and planted roots in the place he now calls home.
Ross has proudly had a 30-year affiliation with the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors (NMAR), where he currently serves on the NMAR MLS Board of Directors. For the past 14 years, he has worked with Glacier Sotheby’s, serving as the company’s president from 2010 to 2020. His dedication to community service extends beyond real estate. Ross sits on the board of the North Valley Music School and has previously served on the Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the United Way. He has also devoted many years to Realtor food drives supporting the North Valley and Columbia Falls food banks.
Like Coco, Ross is a proud father of his three children. Whether coaching youth hockey, cheering from the stands, or serving as a devoted “stage dad,” Ross has always been an active presence in their lives.
Enthusiasts of the Winter Carnival, the Pickert family has a long history with the event. Coco’s cousin, Kay Knapton, was Queen of the Snows in 1961. The Pickerts’ daughter Gabby served as Princess Freya LXII, their son Cole as Prince Frey LXIV, and their son Reid earned a knighthood through the Whitefish Mountain Resort Scavenger Hunt.
More information about the Whitefish Winter Carnival can be found here.