Inside Ralph Lauren’s Lunch at Mulford Farm in East Hampton

Ralph Lauren knows that visiting Mulford Farm isn’t typically the first stop on the Hamptons summer agenda. For most, catching sight of the historic farm and neighboring wooden Pantigo Windmill from a car window in East Hampton simply signals they’re close to their final destination.

But on Friday, Mulford Farm wasn’t just scenery — it was the destination for guests headed to Ralph Lauren’s summer luncheon.

The event was held on the grounds of the historic Mulford Farm, one of America’s most significant intact English Colonial farmsteads, which was revitalized with major financial support from Ralph Lauren. Before lunch, a representative from the East Hampton Historical Society offered tours of the Mulford family farmhouse as guests posed for photos in the garden right outside the front door, the scent of lavender following them across the farmstead’s lawn, where more activities awaited.

There were Polo-branded cornhole lawn games, a Ralph’s Coffee truck serving up iced beverages and caffeine, and umbrella-shaded lounge setups stocked with handheld fans and stacks of the “Polo” newspaper (Beach Edition). Baseball hats were propped inside crates next to a wheelbarrow, and inside the historic Mulford Barn, guests were busy stuffing Ralph Lauren Hamptons tote bags with picture-perfect produce and wildflower bouquets, courtesy of Amber Wave Farm. For those wondering what to make with their haul, there were also copies of Ricky Lauren’s “The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History” cookbook.

“I’m going grocery shopping,” Molly Gordon remarked as she placed a leafy bunch of carrots into her bag, just as Naomi Watts and Sunrise Ruffalo stepped in to join the market action.

Watts, who sat front row at Ralph Lauren’s most recent runway show, was dressed in a cream striped blazer, white vest and denim jeans.

“It’s nice to dress up and feel comfy at the same time,” Watts said. “Everything is so wearable, and I just never feel like I’m being dressed — there are always things that I would choose to keep in my closet. And that is always the best way to wear clothes, to feel like they’re your own and not for anybody else but for you.”

Watts, who has a house in Montauk, N.Y., was out east for the weekend amid a busy summer. “I’ve tried to get out as much as possible. I’m in the middle of filming right now,” said Watts, who is nearing the end of production for Ryan Murphy’s “American Love Story,” about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

“I’m playing Jackie O — which is no small undertaking,” she said. “It’s daunting because we all feel like we know her. She’s got that distinctive voice and way of carrying herself. She’s an extraordinary, memorable first lady, and still very much in our minds.”

Watts also stars in Murphy’s upcoming series “All’s Fair” with Kim Kardashian, which comes out this fall on Hulu. “ It’s about divorce lawyers — a lot of juicy, fun stuff,” the actress said.

Guests, who also included David and Lauren Bush Lauren, Aerin Lauder, Laura Jung, Delany Rowe, Meredith Hayden and Valentina Ferrer, sat for lunch underneath a sail-cloth tent. The menu offered summer-y fare such as lobster rolls, the most popular pick from the menu. Afterward, trays of ice cream sandwiches were passed around on platters as guests lingered.

“ We’re a fashion brand, but this is not meant to be a crazy fashion moment,” said event host David Lauren. “This is meant to be a moment of warmth, a moment of step out of your life and step back in time, and just enjoy things that are old and beautiful,” he added, pointing out the beauty in the immediate vicinity: the vegetables displayed in the old wooden barn, the patina of an old doorknob, the small green apples growing in the tree overhead. 

“If you just take the time to slow down, this is the world that’s been here forever,” he added. “This was a chance to step into what we love.”