Ashland Craft takes the Outlaw Square stage on Friday, September 18, joining headliner Ian Munsick for opening night of the 36th Annual Deadwood Jam. This year, the entire two-day festival is free.

Craft grew up in Piedmont, South Carolina, where her dad, a lifelong mechanic, built her a recording studio in the back of his garage. She cut her teeth fronting the house band at a honky-tonk near Anderson before auditioning for season 13 of NBC’s The Voice in 2017. Miley Cyrus fell out of her chair when Craft picked her team, and Craft rode her smoky rasp all the way to the Top 10. Since then she’s signed with Big Loud Records, released her debut album Travelin’ Kind, and picked up nods as a CMT Next Women of Country honoree and a Pandora Country Artist to Watch.

The Jam runs September 18 and 19 at Outlaw Square on Deadwood’s historic Main Street. Friday opens with the annual Art and Jam Live Auction featuring work from Black Hills artists, followed by Craft and then Munsick. The weekend doubles as the grand opening of Munsick’s new Cowboy Bar & Western Grill inside The Landmark, with a Friday day party and a VIP after party featuring Ryan Charles once the Jam wraps up.

A few practical notes: open container is in effect Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. with an official Deadwood Event Cup, available around town. Lawn chairs can go up at 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. The silent auction runs Saturday, with winners announced from the main stage.